Fallout New Age
by FalloutWanderer
Summary: After the events of Fallout: New World Wanderer, with the Legion annihilated & McNamara's Hidden Valley Brotherhood group restored, Maya & Boone moved to McCarran airbase to help restore it to its pre-war glory. Though it feels like the hardest part of their journey is behind them, there are still dangers and treachery that they must both overcome to survive in the Wasteland.
1. Rebuild, Renew

It was turning out to be one of those days where nothing was working and everything was piling up to the point where Maya didn't know whether she wanted to throw in the towel and call it a day, or carry on working to try to solve at least one problem completely. She was wholly covered in dust and old wires from working inside one of the airplane cockpits that had been sitting at McCarran for a while, nursing a freshly electrocuted finger.

"You okay there Maya?" Robert Hunter's worried face popped into view from the window, craning his head to get a better look. A balding man in his early 50s with a broad build and weathered expression like a man who had seen some serious shit in his life, he was one of the senior and most experienced engineers at McCarran who was brought in by her recommendation. Despite his acerbic attitude towards others, as well as possessing the mouth of a sailor, and a fervent belief that life in the wasteland is God's greatest ironic gift to man, Maya liked him. The two of them were as thick as thieves.

"Oh yeah Bobby, fucking great", Maya grunted in reply, trying to untangle herself from the mess she made, "Just great…".

"Take a break, you've been working almost ten hours straight you loon", Hunter laughed. He was just as filthy as she was, and honestly after the start to the day they all had, some of them were lucky to have their limbs intact.

Maya shook her head, "I'm good, just zapped my finger".

Hunter's head disappeared from outside the window with a grunt, shortly re-appearing in person to kneel next to her. "Come on boss, it's been a long day. Let's go take a short break, recollect our thoughts, and make a plan for tomorrow", he urged her, "Besides, I need to take a piss"

Maya chortled, dusting off her arms. It wasn't a bad idea, given how busy their schedules turned out to be. Not to mention she was starting to feel exhausted. "Alright", she exhaled, "Help me up".

Hunter reached an arm down and pulled her to her feet, coughing from the dust as Maya patted her overalls to get rid of some of it, "Right, let's go get some coffee".

Despite the late hour, the base was unusually active and there was a lot of chatter and laughter around as she and Hunter made their way to the canteen. It made Maya wonder if there were any training drills planned that they didn't know about. Maya had assembled a team of engineers and workers when she and Boone arrived at McCarren about 3 months ago to restore the base to working order, so the overall population in the base had gone up by almost a third. As they rounded the corner of the hallway into the dining area, Maya saw why it was so busy. A group of her engineers had congregated at a table and were having what appeared to be a drinking competition, surrounded by some off duty officers who were cheering them on.

"Crap…" Hunter muttered under his breath as he watched Maya weave her way through the crowd with an irritated expression.

"The hell are you all doing?!" her voice reverberated in the high ceiling room when she reached the epicentre of the commotion, and as if someone had pressed mute on a remote control, the entire room fell silent. The four engineers at the table were mortified, one had frozen mid swig with a yellowish brown liquid still in his shot glass. Their faces were flushed, hair dishevelled slightly, cheeks flushed and both exuding the familiar aroma of Old World Whiskey.

"Well" Maya broke the silence after no one dared step up to explain themselves, "Since no one is going to bother with an explanation –"

"It was my fault, ma'am", one of the engineers standing closest to the table piped up, "Please…We've all had a hard day and –"

"And you will have _another_ hard day tomorrow" Maya interjected, "It will be hard _every_ day until we get the job done. Getting inebriated and putting everyone's safety in jeopardy is not an option. It could get you or someone else around you seriously injured, or worse killed! This behaviour is inexcusable! You all have duties to perform here, which I remind you, are not to be taken lightly. Our responsibility is to rebuild the McCarran airport base, yet you all act as if you're on the Strip!" she continued, looking at every one of their guilty faces. "If anyone isn't on board with their post and all that it entails, and you'd rather spend your time with a bottle in your hand, then by all means; there's the door, have at it" she pointed to the exit.

The crowd shifted on their feet, most of them trying to avoid eye contact with her, feeling embarrassed that what they thought was seemingly harmless fun had disappointed their Chief Engineer. The off duty NCR officers quickly dispersed and got back to doing whatever it was before they were distracted, but no one from her team went for the exit…

An apologetic murmur echoed in the room.

"We're sorry Chief, we won't disappoint you", one of the engineers sitting at the table apologised, while the others nodded and pushed their glasses away.

With a nod and an exasperated exhale, Maya waved them all away and the rest of them dispersed.

Hunter walked up to her, holding his hard hat in hand, "Don't worry about it, they'll sober up by the morning".

"I hope so…for their sakes", Maya sighed, "Doughtry almost lost his hand today in that stupid accident with the hydraulic system on one of the wings. I can still smell the stench of stale alcohol on him when I pulled him away", she shook her head. "There can be no drinking, even when they're off duty. Can't risk it".

Hunter shrugged and sighed, a tired expression on his dirty face, "I'll pass the word down the vine".

With that, they both sat down in the now quiet canteen and discussed the following day's duty roster and building repairs while the rest of the base slowly prepared for the late night shift.

* * *

Boone sat at his desk with a pen in hand, the ball point hovering over a blank sheet as he tried to think of what to write. He had spent the better part of ten minutes trying to come up with the first sentence; he was never really good at this. Heaving a deep sigh, he dropped the pen and tried to rub the tiredness out of his eyes. It didn't help, just made them ache a little more.

Spending time away from Maya was difficult, even though he was only away for about two weeks and was due to back in a couple of days or so. Training the new recruits kept his mind from worrying and missing her too much, but the hardest part was the end of the day when he had to get back to his bunk. He sorely wished he could talk to her over the radio, but he knew she was on a strict deadline and didn't want to hassle her; so letters had to do for the time being.

Taking a sip of his bitter lukewarm coffee and picking up the pen, he wrote a short but sweet letter to her. Just as he placed it in an envelope and added recipient details, the flap to his tent was pulled back and his commanding officer, General Owens, walked in.

"Sir!", Boone stood up abruptly and saluted his C.O., almost knocking his cup off the table.

"At ease" he waved away his respectful gesture with an overly friendly smile. He was a handsome man in his early forties who carried his age well and a somewhat wily expression wherever he went, as though he were a fox in a chicken coop. His almost black hair was cut short, lightly going salt and pepper around the side burns, with dark blue eyes the color of sapphire. Although he was shorter than Boone standing at 5'8", he definitely had an inconspicuous authoritative posture and conduct about him that went beyond rank. "You're off duty Boone, no need for that. Have I caught you at an inconvenient moment?" he asked, looking at the letter in Boone's left hand.

"No, sir, just finished up", Boone answered, relaxing his stance.

"Ah, writing home to the family?" Owens asked inquisitively.

"Got a fiancée at McCarran, she's the Chief engineer", Boone replied, trying his best not to display a prideful grin.

"So _you're_ the guy", the general replied, patting Boone's shoulder and a big grin on his face, "Congratulations! I can't believe that you've been here for almost two weeks and this is the first I hear about this. I heard a lot of good things about Dr. Lyons, we're very fortunate to have you both".

Boone didn't really know what to make of his C.O.'s initial remark, but he nodded and smiled just the same, "Thank you sir. We're happy to help".

"I'm sorry to pull you away from your letter, but there is a small matter regarding the new recruits I wanted to speak with you about", the general started, "I see that they are entering the final stages of their training and they require a live mission to move on to becoming fully fledged first recon officers".

Boone nodded.

"I believe I have just the task for them", he handed him a folder with the mission objectives.

When Boone read the files, he couldn't believe what the general was suggesting. "Sir… this has to be a mistake".

Owens wasn't phased by Boone's reaction, in fact it seemed that he anticipated it.

"Now I know it's a tall order –"

"It's impossible" Boone shook his head, his voice low and severe, "What you are asking of them, sir… You would need an experienced platoon with at least two squads. There are only four of them".

"Five", Owens corrected him, "You will participate with present company, show them the ropes in live combat and all that. Besides, our recon teams counted just shy of a dozen enemies on the premises. Shouldn't be too hard to set up a perimeter and pick off the enemy from a safe distance".

This was entirely unprecedented and reckless of their C.O. He knew that there are inherent risks in his line of duty that could not be avoided, but the higher ups never sent him anywhere unprepared and without sufficient backup. At least, not until now.

 _'Someone set it up'_ he thought. Standing in silence, he waited for Owens to say something, that this was an elaborate joke, anything. But he simply stood his ground and smiled at Boone; it made him feel sick to his stomach.

"I expect you will have your team ready before sunrise. It's a long trek to Black mountain with a challenging mission ahead, but I have full confidence in you and your team. And the sooner this is dealt with, the sooner you can get back to Maya", he winked and left Boone with the mission files.

Running his hand roughly over the back of his neck, Boone exhaled in frustration; there was nothing he could do. If he declined the mission, Owens would undoubtedly relieve him of duty and fail the new recruits, or worse; send the recruits without him and he would have to live with the knowledge that they were sent to their doom without their mentor to assist them. He seemed like the type to do that…

No, Boone wouldn't allow that to happen, he couldn't. Reaching under his bed, he dragged out his old duffel bag and began packing his weapons and some necessities before leaving the tent to inform his new squad of the upcoming mission. But first he would make a trip to the comms station and send a radio message to McCarran.

* * *

 _Next Day_

Just as Maya got her tools out to make repairs to the fuse box in her accommodation and add on a new power line, a knock at the door diverted her attention. Two troopers had just brought in an armor workbench and Maya helped them set it up in a corner in what will be the living room.

"Finally we have a proper armor work station" she sighed standing over it, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face. "Now, where did I stash his armor?" she mumbled, trying to recall where she saw Boone's patrol uniform. The last time he was out on patrol a band of raiders had tried to ambush them and the armor took some damage, and some of the integrated bulletproof panels needed replacing and some stitching in the long coat. He hadn't gotten round to repairing it and had been away for a couple of days to train some new recruits at Camp Golf, so Maya thought she would surprise him by fixing it up herself. Rummaging through one of her duffel bags, she managed to find it and set it on the surface, examining the damage as she ran her fingers over the trouble areas. Boone's armor of choice was the NCR Ranger veteran armor, one that Maya had found in Zion valley and gifted to him. It was distinguished from the rest as it had "Forgive me momma" written on the helmet with white paint, as well as some of Boone's own customization to it: he had added a NCR flag on the right side of his chest piece and on his left, was a drawing of a heart with a lock through it with Maya's name on it. It made her smile every time she saw it. She remembered when he asked her to draw it for him.

 _"They're gonna make fun of you"_ she remembered telling him when she presented him with the finished work on the day of their arrival at McCarran, _"Gonna say that 1_ _st_ _recon guy went soft the second he got a girl"_ , but Boone scoffed, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

 _"They can try"_ she remembered his reply, a faint smirk on his face. Since their relationship became serious, he always carried a grin around him as though he was the luckiest man in the Mojave. It made Maya smile remembering him that way.

The other thing that stood out about his uniform compared to the others was the custom paint Maya did of a bloody Legion bull on the back left side of his helmet to commemorate his greatest achievement in the NCR when he killed Caesar.

Maya sighed and began work on the repairs. Since Boone wouldn't be back for another two days, this gave her plenty of time to do as much work as she could before his return.

"I should be able to fix you before he comes back", she spoke out loud as she took some materials out of her duffle bag and began repairs. Several of the heavy duty Kevlar inserts had to be completely replaced and the material stitched back up, but after salvaging the materials from other equipment and components in her possession the repairs took no longer than half an hour. After that, she moved onto the fuse box and managed to get power back to the building before dawn. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she sat down at the dining table in the kitchen and took out a can of baked beans to eat. As much as she loved it when she and Boone were together, sometimes she felt like she needed a bit of space. Spending decades on her own with no one to talk to but herself and then being surrounded by people required some getting used to again. When she was alone, she got into the habit of busying herself with maintenance and scavenging tasks. It kept her sane, productive, and occupied her mind so she didn't get bored. She also learned quite a bit of handy tricks along the way. And this is what she fell back on when Boone had to go to Camp Golf. Her next task after her meal was to clean up a bit before going to McCarran to finish up repairs to the aircraft, something she had been looking forward to since they moved there.

Tossing the can in a recycling bin in the kitchen, she changed out of her dusty, sweaty clothes, dunked her head in a bucket of clean water to wash off the sweat and dirt. She also scrubbed her upper torso using a clean enough wash cloth until she stopped smelling of dust and sweat and threw on a clean dusty green military overall before heading down to the airport.

"How's it coming Bobby?" she called out to her second in command over the noise of the repair works on one of the planes. He was busying himself with a dented aileron on the left wing, trying to heat the metal with a flame to bend it back into place.

Hunter turned the flame down and pulling his welding goggles up looked at her with confusion, "Aren't you supposed to be taking the next couple of days off Chief?"

"Free time doesn't seem to agree with me" she smiled, "What's left to fix on this old bird?"

Hunter scratched his head, trying to think of where to start, "Well... there's the hydraulics for the wings from yesterday's roster that still needs replacing, the cockpit control panel needs re-wiring... Oh, and a new battery for the black box. We also need to do a full systems check. There's no way we'll be done in time".

Maya shook her head, "Always the negative one, aren't you?"

Hunter shrugged, "I'm a realist, what can I say?" and with that he slid his goggles back on and got back to his task.

Maya jumped in and decided to tackle the wiring problem, which was worse than she expected. All of the deteriorated cables in the cockpit were removed and strewn on the floor like a bed of weeds and in the corner were several reels of new wires nestled together with the old. _'Maybe this_ will _take more than I thought'_ Maya mused disappointedly. At least this kept her mind occupied, away from thoughts about the past and unpleasant memories that threatened to rear their ugly heads whenever she had a moment of peace.

It was gone 7 PM before she completed all the wiring in the cockpit. Picking herself back up off the dusty floor inside the plane, she wondered whether it was even worth cleaning up before she got there as she was just as dirty now as she was that morning. It was getting dark outside and Maya decided to call it a day; after all, she had tackled the worst of the problems today. Putting her tools away, she disembarked the plane and found that she was alone in the airport. She must have been so concentrated on her work that she lost track of everything going on around her. She never liked being alone in the dark...

Making her way through the base, she was stopped by one of the radio operators with a message from Boone. The mere mention of his name made her heart skip a beat.

"Got a letter for you today Maya, and you got a radio message", he said.

She took a neatly folded piece of paper and an envelope from his hand and thanked him for keeping her updated. Wondering what radio message was, she decided to read that first. The message was hurriedly scribbled in pencil, but the writing was clear:

 _"Maya, I will be late getting back home. I've been told to go visit our old pal Neil, the higher ups want him back. Won't lie, it'll be a mountain of a task to pull off at the end of the day without my Sterling suit."_

The message left her confused; they don't have an "old pal Neil", and Boone didn't even own a Sterling suit. Apart from the first sentence, nothing else made much sense.

 _He must be trying to tell me something,_ she thought, _maybe it's code…?_

Maybe there was more information in the letter?

Maya ripped through the envelope and flipped the letter open with slightly shaky fingers.

 _Maya,_

 _Just about done with training. The recruits have a live mission soon so it's been busy getting them ready for it. Hopefully it'll be over by end of day tomorrow and I can get back to you the following day. I'll take the truck, so will be home before you know it. Can't wait to see you again, missing you is unbearable._

 _Keep safe._

 _All my love,_

 _Craig_

 _'He must have written that letter before the radio communication'_ , Maya was left with more questions than answers though, and she was beginning to feel a pit growing in her stomach. She jogged down the hallways to catch up to the radio operator and asked him when the message was received.

"Oh, that one came in hours ago", he answered.

"Can you remember roughly what time?"

The operator squinted, trying to remember, "It was before dawn, maybe… 4 or 5 AM".

She thanked him for the information and decided the best way to figure this out was to return to her accommodation. Running up the stairs to her floor, she took a seat at the kitchen table and went over the radio message again.

"Old pal Neil…mountain of a task… Sterling suit?" she spoke out loud after her eyes kept repeatedly hovering over those words. She tried to think about what that could mean, until a memory of a conversation about the difference between supermutants and nightkin she had with McNamara a while back gave her an idea. Fishing out her PipBoy from the depths of her bag, she opened up the map and had a look around to see for clues. First she checked Boone's location to within a five mile radius, but found nothing that matched even vaguely with the clue; and knowing Boone he wouldn't have had the time or patience to send her a complicated puzzle. But just as her eyes were scanning the south-westerly section of the map, her gaze focused on Niel's Shack. "Of course! That has to be it" she exclaimed, and right next to it was Black mountain, "But why be so secretive about it?" she pondered out loud. Her gut was telling her something was up, and she had to get to Niel's shack before the night was over.

 _'And Sterling suit must refer to Corporal Sterling'_ , she thought. Packing up a bag with Boone's Ranger armour, extra ammo, a couple of pistols, and some plasma grenades, Maya left the flat and ran to McCarran in search of advice.

Corporal Sterling's face looked as perplexed as Maya's when he finished reading the note, "And you say you think he's at Niel's Shack right now getting ready to acquire Black Mountain as the final test?"

Maya nodded, "I've been over the message and that's the only plausible explanation I've come to".

"Hmm", Sterling mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He read through the message again before he got out of his seat and started walking out of his tent with Maya following close behind. When Maya realised that Sterling was making his way to the 1st Recon tent, she knew he thought this was serious enough to warrant their help.

"Gorobets, Bitter Root, Betsy, and Spades", he called the names of the 1st Recon members, bringing them to a standing attention, "I need you to go with Maya and check out Neil's Shack tonight. Be sure to take enough supplies for a well-armed firefight. Go to the doc and get a doctor's bag or two, for good measure".

The stern soldiers nodded and collected their gear without question. If Sterling gave them an order to move out, they knew this was serious.

"Listen carefully Maya", Sterling began, turning to her and pulling her away from the others to speak privately, "When you find Boone, bring him and his team straight back here. Do not let him go back to Camp Golf. Once here, we will take the information to General Hsu and let him deal with this".

Maya nodded, "Alright Corporal. With any luck we should be back before dawn". He gave her a small smile and a pat on the shoulder.

Maya just hoped that they would make it in time…


	2. Mountaintop Movement

The sun had set almost an hour ago by the time Boone and his four recruits reached Neil's shack. Strong gusts of wind blew sand and debris in their eyes making it almost impossible to see much ahead of them and heavy dark clouds tinted a sickly green carpeted the sky, threatening a downpour of radioactive rain. The youngest recruit, Connor, a tall lanky 18-year-old with jet black hair and a ruddy complexion speckled with freckles, sprained his ankle when they had to make a run for it after unwittingly encroaching upon a den of nightstalkers. Though he was putting on a brave face, Boone could tell he was in a great deal of pain and would not be able to continue unless he got treatment. Boone had never had this much bad luck on the road before. Although he didn't give his karmic debt much thought since the therapy he received at Daniel's vault, today's bad luck made him wonder if this was still payback for what he did at Coyote Ridge.

Kicking in the door to Neil's shack, the five men poured inside just before the rain started to pelt it down, dropping their bags anywhere and another recruit nicknamed Trigger helped Connor to a nearby chair. The lead recruit, nicknamed Black Jack, and his second in command, Hansen, took over a rusty dilapidated table in the far corner and spread open their map to examine their position and consult their mission objectives.

"Aargh! Watch my leg numb nuts!" Connor grunted in pained frustration.

"If you watched your own legs we wouldn't be in this mess" Trigger scoffed, unlacing Jack's boot and gently sliding it off to examine his ankle. It was beginning to swell.

Boone knelt next to Trigger, examining Connor's injury and Trigger's response. Although having a team member suffer an injury during the final assessment was far from ideal, it did offer an opportunity for Boone to judge their reactions to each challenge they face, and it was also a cold dose of reality for the recruits; reminding them that any situation can change in the blink of an eye and that they need to allow their training to kick in instinctually. Even though Boone was their instructor, in his current role as the assessor he had to take the backseat, only taking command if their lives were in imminent risk or if a decision the lead recruit made compromised their safety.

"How's it look?"

Trigger examined the swelling and checked for fractures, making Connor wince in pain as he did, "Seems to be just a sprain, no breaks".

"How do we treat it?"

Trigger bit his lower lip, pondering the correct procedure, "Apply ice spray aerosol, then healing poultice before wrapping the ankle in a bandage and administering oral pain relief".

 _'_ _It'll have to do for now'_ , Boone nodded. He moved on to observe Jack and Hansen who were busy marking out their next path.

"Report".

Tracing their next path with his index finger, Jack explained the next course of action, "We will avoid the main road and instead stick close to the rocks and rubble for cover. Using bolt cutters, Hansen will create an opening in the fence at the back of the facility, climb the stairs and get to the radio room while I cover his back, watching for activity and drawing enemy fire away. Once in, Hansen will use his expertise in old world tech, hack the computers and take control of comms. Trigger and Connor will flank the enemy, about 200 feet from the entrance, waiting for my signal to eliminate the enemy target at the top of the spire and any enemies that attempt to scatter them. I will then take up position at the top of the spire and pick them off one by one."

 _'_ _Impressive'_ , thought Boone. "Very well, I will be in the vicinity between you four. I suggest we take an hour to rest before embarking".

"Umm… I would suggest a different approach, sir" Hansen added, a perplexingly uncomfortable expression on his face as though he expected to be reprimanded for speaking up. But Boone was not like that, he encouraged the recruit to explain.

"Well, sir, I do not wish to dismiss your suggestion, but I believe it would be best to begin the attack at twilight. Recent findings have determined that Nightkin vision and senses are highest at night, only weakening in the brief period before dawn."

"And you know this for certain?" Boone asked intrigued.

Hansen nodded certainly, "The new paper on Nightkin biology by Doctor Henry reports these findings in detail; he's the foremost expert on Nightkin".

"You mean the _only_ expert on Nightkin", Jack added, "Not like we get to pick and choose, but Doc. Henry is as good a source as any".

Boone nodded; this was their mission and they would all proceed as Jack suggested. This also gave them some time to recuperate from their journey; and for Maya to meet them. After sending the cryptic radio message to her, he hoped that she would have reached the shack before they did; but now it was looking more and more that they were going to be alone on this one. There was nothing for him to do now except wait…

* * *

Rain the likes Maya had never witnessed before in her life was pelting them at high speed, stinging wherever it met with exposed skin while lightning rippled through the sky, producing rapid green flashes of light that cast ominous shadows and made the Geiger counter on her Pip-Boy crackle to life. This wasn't ordinary rain though, the sickly green grey clouds appeared to be spreading over the Mojave from one point in the distance. The wind was the worst though as it threw up dust and other small debris in their faces, making it hard to see where they were going. Maya had no time to be curious about this strange turn in the forecast though, so she re-positioned her duffel bag on her aching shoulders and pulled her hood forward to shield her eyes from the oncoming wind and rain.

"Maya, we can't stay out in this weather much longer" Colonel Gorobets yelled behind her, "We have to find shelter".

"We're almost there!" Maya yelled back, "Another kilometre and we'll be-"

"No! This rain is making it impossible to see in front of us. We could be walking right into a group of Fiends, Raiders, or worse a Cazador nest, and not even know it." Gorobets interrupted her, "I can just about see a ruined building to our right. Let us stop there for a while to regain our bearings and get out of the rain".

Maya exhaled in frustration, but had to agree with the Colonel. Though she was used to traversing the wasteland come rain or shine and had built up a good stamina for it, Colonel Gorobets and his team were not used to these conditions. Plus he did have a point: running into a Cazador nest in this area was a real concern.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead", she nodded and followed close behind him.

As they approached the ruined building, they realised it was an old world gas or pump station for refuelling cars. The main building itself was too damaged to offer safe shelter for them, but at the back there was what once appeared to be a repair garage with some supplies and the roof was still intact. They huddled together with their backs against one wall, relieved to be out of the storm. Betsy handed out a dose of RadAway and RadX for everyone while Spades distributed some preserved military rations.

"Where do you think that's coming from?" Maya asked pointing at the clouds in the distance.

"I dunno, but it doesn't look like it'll let up any time soon" Bitter Root replied, staring at the mountains where Maya was referring to.

"L-l-looks l-like it's co-coming from the M-M-Mojave Outpost" Spades added, a concerned look in his eyes as he handed her a food pack.

"Whatever it is, and wherever it's coming from, if it's not over in about an hour we'll have to push on forward. But if it gets worse we're going to have to postpone the mission until it stops" Gorobets replied.

"You can call it off if you want", Maya added, "I won't force you to come with me, but I have to go; I have to find Boone".

"Relax, no one is calling anything off yet", Betsy replied, reclining on the hard concrete floor and using her own backpack as a pillow, "Let's see what happens in an hour, then we'll decide".

The others followed suit, except for Bitter Root who chose to stand watch while the others slept. Maya checked the time on her Pip-Boy, which read 02:43 hours and showed her RAD levels slowly decreasing back to almost zero. Despite the slight hindrance in the weather, they had made good time; and they were only a kilometre away from Neil's Shack. Maya tried to remember all the information about Black Mountain that McNamara had once spoken with her about. The Hidden Valley Brotherhood of Steel had on several occasions attempted to infiltrate the area, sending recon teams to gather information. In the dozen or so missions they carried out around the vicinity of Black Mountain, only two operatives had ever made it back alive. It was also difficult to gain access to the site as it was surrounded by cloaked Nightkin and sections of fencing that made it almost impossible to get in undetected. The only way that they could possibly get inside was if they sneaked around and went through the back.

Movement in the corner of Maya's eye brought her out of her reverie, pulling her pistol close to her. It was just Bitter Root though, signing to her to approach him. The others were already asleep, quietly snoring away, so Maya made her way to Bitter Root without disturbing the others.

"What's up?" she whispered, kneeling next to him.

"Something doesn't feel right, I'm going to check the area. Take my post and keep your eyes and ears open for anything. If you see any movement that doesn't look like me, shoot first and ask questions later", he said, pulling up a bandana over his nose and mouth. Maya nodded and took her post as Bitter Root silently crept into the haze outside, disappearing without a sound…

* * *

The almost deafening sound of hard rain assaulting the tin roof of Neil's shack was becoming unbearable. It appeared that the storm outside was building up with no end in sight, and it was understandably causing concern to some of the recruits who had never had to deal with storms like this in their lives; and neither did Boone for that matter. The rain didn't seem to agree with other residents nearby either, as they heard the familiar scurrying of radscorpions and radroaches as they tried to get away from the downpour.

Jack was the most level headed member of the group, with his back resting against the wall and his rifle in his hands, watching and listening for anything that would be a concern. That was, until they heard a roar in the distance muffled slightly by the drumming of the rain that made even Boone's steady composure waver somewhat.

"The hell was that?!" Trigger leapt out of his sleeping bag, rummaging for his weapon while a drowsy Connor propped himself on one elbow, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"Shh, remember your training: stay calm, stay quiet, keep your weapons by your side", Boone instructed, going for his sniper rifle and checking that the chamber was loaded. The recruits huddled together in a circle in the middle of the shack, except for Jack who silently moved to kneel next to Boone in front of the door. Nobody made a noise for what felt like forever, listening for the sound that had roused them.

Nothing.

Boone decided that they needed to find out what was out there. He picked up a dark coloured scarf and wrapped it around his face and head, leaving only a gap for his eyes. "I'm going out to investigate, stay here with the others and don't move, don't even make a sound. If I am not back by dawn, I want you all to pack up and head back to Camp Golf".

"Sir, I should be going out there with you. If we don't pass this mission, we won't progress" Jack insisted.

"If that sound is what I think it is, this mission is over", Boone stated bluntly, "This entire mission should never have been approved, too many risks and an impossible target to deal with. No, you are the leader of your team, you must lead them back to safety if I don't make it back".

"What about the backup you mentioned?"

Boone sighed, "It is obvious that they didn't receive the message… otherwise they'd be here by now". He wasn't keen on stepping out the door, but if the recruits were to have any chance of escaping he needed to lure the danger away from them; even if it meant certain death for him. As he took a deep breath in to slow his racing heart and pulled on the lever to open the door, they heard the stomping of heavy footsteps from the top of the mountain. Jack and Boone quickly secured the door again, pressing their weight into in half expecting it to be slammed by an enemy; but they just ran past the shack without stopping.

Trigger propped himself up next to a small opening in the wall of the shack, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

"What do you see? What's happening?" Connor asked urgently, limping up to him.

"Something spooked the Nightkin", Trigger whispered cautiously, "I can't tell how many, maybe four…five? The shimmering of their stealth boys is making it hard to get a read".

"Where are they going? Does it look like they noticed us?" Jack whispered, moving next to Trigger trying to get a look for himself.

"Nah, they're moving away… Down the mountain".

Another blood curdling roar, this time much closer.

"Holy SHIT! IT'S A BEHEMOTH!" Connor screeched as something was sent hurtling at the shack strong enough to make a dent in the metal ceiling and shower them with dust.

"Weapons at the ready!" Boone instructed hurriedly, "Keep your heads down and your fingers off the trigger unless you have your enemy in sight".

Everyone huddled trembling together in the middle of the room, rifles aimed at the door as they listened to the onslaught outside. Suddenly something else was hurled at the shack and it made one corner of the shack buckle with the familiar screech of metal being ripped apart.

"We can't stay in here! We gotta get out!" Trigger yelled. With a deeply seeded panic in his eyes he sprang to his feet and went for the door, but Boone reached up and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him back down.

"You go out there now you will be dead in seconds!" he whispered urgently, "You do not abandon your team! Working together we have a higher chance of getting through this".

The carnage outside was unimaginable and the sounds were something they could only imagine was an epic battle being fought between Nightkin and a powerful Behemoth. From what they could hear, it sounded as though the fight was taking place a few paces from the front door; and it didn't take long before almost the entire roof was ripped open and the group were exposed to the harsh elements yet again. Rain and the rushing wind stung their eyes but they could clearly see a towering Behemoth half way through his swing, the spattered remains of the Nightkin it had killed just moments ago using its fire-hydrant club leaving a trail of dark blood and gore. Luckily it hadn't seen them; unluckily a nearby Nightkin did, and it launched itself at them.

"Oh SHIT!" Hansen screamed, unloading almost an entire clip into the creature's head before it dropped dead, skidding on the dirt to stop at their feet.

"RUN!" Boone yelled, pushing the recruits out of the shack and down the mountain as they got caught in the middle of the fight. Another Nightkin caught sight of them and took chase, grabbing the limping Connor and laughing maniacally as it swung his fragile body around, watching his limbs flop in amusement.

"Connor!" Trigger stopped, running back to help his friend. "Let 'im go you sunnuva bitch!" he screamed, crippling the Nightkin's arm with four shots from his rifle. The creature howled in agony, dropping poor Connor on the hard cracked ground, which gave Trigger the five seconds he needed to carry his unconscious friend away before the fire-hydrant came crashing back down on the Nightkin, splattering them both in blood and entrails. Trigger screamed in terror as adrenaline took over and sprinted back down the mountain with Connor in his arms. He could hear a deafening roar from the Behemoth just behind him and the flashes of gun shots about thirty meters ahead of him. It was Boone and the other recruits, unloading all of their ammunition into the confused Behemoth. It seemed to work for a while, but their bullets weren't doing enough damage and they were on their last clip.

"I'm out!" Jack yelled next to him.

"Go! I will distract him as long as I can!" Boone ordered, taking careful aim to shoot the monster in areas that appeared weakest as the others sprinted down the road.

'At least they'll have a running start' he thought as the last bullet left his rifle and connected with the Behemoth's left eye, making it roar in fury. With its one good bloodshot eye fixated on him, it swung its arm up in an arc, the bloody club in its hands and Boone standing alone just thirty feet away from it.

 _'_ _So, this is how it ends…'_ he mused, unsheathing his combat knife. If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting to the bitter end. As the club reached its apex to make its descent towards him and before Boone even had a chance to charge at the Behemoth, he heard the deafening whoosh of a missile that flew above him, striking the towering being's arm and severing it from its body. The concussive impact of the explosive incapacitated Boone, knocking him to the ground. He could feel the ground beneath him shake as the Behemoth stumbled back, and a pained and shocked shriek leave its lungs; but it was still standing, bleeding profusely from its missing limb. It took a few staggered steps forward, refusing to die, before another missile connected with its chest and the creature's body crashed onto some rocks about fifty feet from where Boone lay.

As his vision faded in and out, Boone thought he could hear cheering, then rushing footsteps moving towards him. His body stiffened as he prepared himself to fight off any attackers, but when he was rolled over he was greeted by a familiar smiling face.

"Craig!" Maya gasped, quickly examining him for any injuries, "You alright?!"

There were tears streaming down her face, but she had that familiar loving smile that made him feel like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, locking his lips with hers.

"Ugh, I didn't want to believe it, but the rumours are true: you _have_ gone soft Boone" Gorobets teased, standing a few paces away, "Come on, you two can get a room later".

"Soft?!" Hansen scoffed, his eyes wide and face flushed as he panted next to the Colonel, "He was about to charge a Behemoth with nothing but a combat knife. You call that soft?"

Gorobets smirked and gave Hansen the side eye, slapping him on the back, "You'll get it when you're older".

Maya pulled Boone up onto his feet, helping to keep him upright while he worked on getting his balance back.

"Darling, what took you so long?" he asked teasingly, placing an arm around her shoulders to steady himself and rubbing his left ear, annoyed that it was still ringing.

"Sorry _darling_ , I had to stop for groceries" she gently slapped his cheek, "Stop rubbing your ear, you'll only make it worse".

The wind and the rain were finally letting up, allowing them all a glimpse at the carnage that they had all survived. About half a dozen Nightkin bodies, and entrails, littered the area along with debris from Neil's ruined shack, some of the supplies that Boone and the recruits had brought back with them, bullet casings, and blood gathering in pools. It was a grim sight to behold.

"Shit…" Gorobets muttered, taking a good look around them, "We'd better start making our way back before the others decide to come out and finish the job".

Without wasting time, the group quickly picked up their belongings and began their trek down the road.

"So, which one of you decided it was a great idea to shoot that thing with a rocket launcher with me standing practically next to it?"

"That would be Maya" Bitter Root piped up, shouldering two duffel bags while Spades prepared a stimpak for Boone.

"What?!" Boone's head turned to her, "What if you missed?"

Maya smirked, still shouldering some of his weight, "If I missed, then you'd only have yourself to blame".

Boone chuckled. She did have a point, he was the one who trained her; and looks like their training sessions paid off.

Before they could get down the hill and onto the main road, they heard a series of explosions in quick successions coming from the top of Black Mountain. Immediately everyone crouched down, weapons ready in hand.

"What the hell?!" Betsy muttered under her breath, "They coming to finish the job?".

"No", Maya answered, her eyes scanning the smoking ruined top of the mountain, "Sounded like timed charges going off… I don't think it was the Nightkin. We should investigate" she looked over to Gorobets and Betsy.

"No!" Boone insisted, "Whatever that was, we just barely survived the first round".

Maya set Boone down on a rock, "Craig, that explosion has destroyed whatever was left of the Nightkin base. We're already here, it would be a waste to walk all the way back without checking".

Boone kept hold of her hand, not wanting to let her go. He'd just had a close call with the Behemoth and didn't want to risk his luck now in losing her. But he also knew that she was annoyingly stubborn and would probably end up going alone if he didn't relent.

"…Fine" he sighed, relenting, "Load up on ammo and take some frag grenades just in case".

With a kiss, Maya left him in the safe company of Bitter Root, Spades, and his recruits on the side of the road.

* * *

Reaching the top of the mountain, Maya, Gorobets and Betsy took defensive positions and made their way through the camp. Over half a dozen Nightkin bodies were strewn around the area, consistent with the explosive evidence. The radio spire was toppled on its side, the metal burned and crumpled in places and there was a distinctive smell of burned gun powder in the air.

"Maya, over here" Betsy whispered, catching a glimpse of movement under some rubble. Maya took aim, while Gorobets covered their back as they moved forward towards the movement. Suddenly a muffled sound from the moving pile made them stop. It sounded like a human.

"Did you hear that?" Betsy asked wide eyed, looking at Maya.

"Must have been a prisoner. Quick! Let's get them out" Maya urged, digging through the debris until she found a gloved hand, "There!".

Within minutes they had the stranger out, pulling them away from the sharp debris and onto the path while Betsy and Gorobets kept a lookout for danger. The person appeared to be alright, suffering no broken bones or cuts. They were dressed in full Ranger armour, with the helmet and mask covering their face.

"Hello? Are you alright?" Maya asked, gently removing the helmet. She was surprised to be confronted with strawberry blonde hair tied up in a kind of a messy bun that lay flat on the back of the person's head, and when she removed the mask Maya realised it was a woman… a very attractive woman. Her face was lightly bronzed from sun exposure, nose lightly speckled with delicate freckles, long eyelashes the same colour as her hair and full dark pink, almost mauve coloured lips. She grimaced as the mask came off, eyes blinking blearily awake.

"Hey! You're alright, we pulled you from the rubble. We're with the NCR" Maya tried to comfort her.

"Well I'll be damned, I never thought I'd see your hot ass around here again" Betsy blurted out behind Maya, making her flinch.

"You two know each other?" Maya asked confused. _'_ _What are the odds of this?'_ she wondered.

"Oh yeah" Betsy grinned like she'd just hit the jackpot, "This here's my best girl in the Mojave. Good to see you're still kicking Six. Where you been hiding yourself".

Courier Six smiled bleakly, "Ah, you know, a Courier's life is never a dull one" she answered as Betsy helped ease her onto her feet, "And uh… Thanks for those silk sheets".


	3. Thorn in my Side

Back at Camp McCarran, Boone sat in General Hsu's office with Sterling standing by his side, his arms crossed and brow furrowed in concern. Boone had managed to salvage the duffel bag with the mission files and watched as Hsu went over the details, waiting to hear a confirmation of his suspicions.

General Hsu's eyes hovered over the mission report, the crease in his brow deepening as he read the words that haphazardly explained the details for the recruits at Black Mountain; he looked as perplexed as Sterling had when he first heard about it. After a few moments, he dropped the file on his desk, exhaling in frustration.

"I don't see how this mission was given the green light; for one thing the information provided here is two years out of date, at the very least" he commented, shaking his head, "And this signature: Gen. R.D. Hardy. I have never heard of him".

Sterling nodded in agreement, "Whoever prepared this file must have had an ulterior motive, something they wanted done without being traced back to them".

"The question is who was the one willing to waste the lives of five NCR soldiers" Boone added. After a moment of contemplative silence, Hsu picked the papers back up, placed them in the top drawer of his desk and locked it up.

"Leave this with me", he sighed, "I will carry out a full investigation into the matter; starting with Brigadier General Owens".

* * *

Since Maya was lucky enough not to suffer any injuries after the fiasco that occurred at Black Mountain, she had, much to her delight and satisfaction, managed to evade the need for a medical examination. Plus considering the certain upgrades she had received only several months ago from Daniel, including a subdermal implant that greatly increased her toughness and ability to heal, an examination would have likely resulted in more poking and prodding to determine the secrets of these…enhancements; something Maya had had enough of in two timelines.

Sitting on an empty wooden crate with her legs dangling inches off the floor, she waited with Bitter Root, Betsy, Spades and Gorobets while Boone spoke with Hsu in the McCarran airbase. All things considered and given the horrific storm that had battered them with radioactive rain the night before, it was a gloriously sunny and warm day, and Maya was feeling terrific. She took the liberty of removing her long sleeved faded cotton military shirt, leaving her with only her off white tank top to allow her arms and shoulders to catch some sunlight. The move made Betsy sneak a peak in Maya's direction, where the sight of several prominent scars caught her attention.

"You've seen some action, haven't you?" she commented, eyes fixated on a scar that looked like a deep gash from large claws.

Sensing Betsy's eyes hovering over her scars, Maya uncomfortably shifted in her spot, pulling her shirt to try to cover the imperfection. "Yeah, an unfortunate encounter with a Deathclaw" she said, "It caught me off guard. Almost ripped my arm off, but I managed to find a crawlspace to hide in until he decided I wasn't worth it".

"You must've had to hide for days" said Bitter Root, "Deathclaws have been known to stalk and wait out their prey until they give out".

Maya nodded, "It waited for me to come out of hiding for almost a week. By that time my wound got infected, and I guess the smell made him lose his appetite".

"You're lucky to be alive girl" Betsy shook her head in amazement, but Maya smiled meekly, still feeling painfully self-conscious about having strange eyes examine her. Thankfully movement in the airport shifted their attention away from her. It was the woman with strawberry blonde hair; her right arm was in a cast and there was a slight limp in her walk. Betsy was the first to break away from the group and walk up to the courier, with the others following closely behind to engage in conversation. Maya stayed back and watched their interactions, uncertain of this newcomer and what her intentions were. It was a task to keep your eyes from admiring her features, but even though she had an irresistible beauty about her, Maya had a gut feeling that there was something more there… Something unpleasant hiding behind that exterior.

The courier's gaze caught her own, and Maya awkwardly diverted her attention elsewhere in an attempt to remain unnoticed.

"Hey", Six called, walking up to her and holding out her arm for a handshake, "Thanks for getting me out of that rubble, friend".

Maya accepted the gesture and shook her hand gently, "Happy to help".

"I'm sorry, in all the chaos we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves. I'm Six, or at least that's what I've been calling myself for the past decade or so" she smiled, her eyes squinting in the light and showing some signs of aging around the corners. If anything, it added to her charm.

Maya replied with a curt nod, "It's nice to meet a new face around here, I'm Maya".

"Oh she's not new around here", Betsy added with a crooked grin, "She's been around these parts plenty, could probably traverse the Mojave blindfolded".

Six chuckled, considered the probability, and then nodded, "Probably could".

"So, uh… How are you feeling?" Maya asked, pointing to her arm.

"Doc here does a pretty good job. Fractured my wrist and sprained an ankle, but aside from that and the bumps and bruises, I'm no worse for wear", Six replied with a grin, "I was thinking about grabbing something to eat with the others, do you wanna join us?"

Although she was getting a bit hungry, Maya wasn't especially keen on the idea; not when Boone was still being debriefed and there was a potential threat that needed to be addressed. She politely declined the invitation, watching Six, Betsy, Bitter Root and Spades walk away into the airport. When the group disappeared, she heard Gorobets' familiar footsteps behind her.

"You know, it's good to unwind and socialise sometimes", he said, leaning on the wooden crate next to her, handing her a bottle of purified water.

"Then why don't you?" Maya smiled, taking a sip of the cool refreshing liquid.

"I'm their C.O." he chuckled, "Makes it kinda hard to do with lower ranking officers. But they do admire you, you know? You needn't feel like an outsider with them"

Maya shook her head, "Didn't know that. But I'm still here because I'm waiting for Boone, is all".

Gorobets smiled, "Then I'll wait with you. Let's get out of the blistering heat though, eh?"

Maya smiled in agreement and walked with the sniper to the cool shade of the airport building, hoping that some answers would be revealed soon.

* * *

Six was just finishing up her lunch when a familiar figure with a red beret making his way through the long hallway caught her attention; Boone. He didn't seem to notice her though. Feeling a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach, she wondered if she should try to talk to him after all these years. Their trip to McCarran was awkward and filled with silence, and she could tell he felt uncomfortable seeing her again. Dropping her knife and fork on the dinner tray, she sprang up and quickly hobbled to catch up to him.

"Hey! Boone!" she called, "Hang on a sec". His pace slowed though he carried on walking, not even turning to acknowledge her. "So, what's the word? Did you get any more information about your situation?"

She could see his posture tense up, his back and shoulders rigid as he slowly shook his head, "No".

Six's eye's examined him, the smile fading from her expression. "Look, I know that…we've not seen eye to eye on some things in the past; but I thought we could take some time to clear the air and – "

"Hmph" his lips pressed tightly together, the bitterness of his thoughts threatening to manifest into words, "You call taking control of Vegas not seeing eye to eye?" His cold gaze met hers, "driving the Khans out, threatening General Oliver. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching ol' wait and see squirm when he didn't get his way; but making secret deals with Caesar behind my back after everything I've been through…?" his voice seethed with wrath, "That's unforgivable".

If he had driven a knife into her side then and there, it would have been less painful; and the hurt showed in her eyes. But he didn't care.

"Craig… you can't judge me based on that. I had no choice in the matter" Six replied, but Boone shook his head.

"No, you made that choice" he said, looking away from her, but he could sense that his words cut her deeply, "You compromised and schemed with the Legion, and lied to me about it". Although they had been through hell and back together in the days following up to the Legion's attack on Hoover Dam, there were certain things he would never be able to forgive…or forget.

"I only did it because I knew this would be your reaction" Six protested, "you're only proving my point now".

"And you've proved mine" he growled back, his green eyes burning through her.

"Right…" Six bit back her disappointment, and hung her head slightly, "I… If you're not even willing to hear me out, then I guess I won't even try" she nodded, making her way in the opposite direction. Boone stood rooted, watching her limp down the hall and out of the airport, only resuming his original path when she vanished from his sight.

* * *

"What do you mean there's no record of him?" Maya asked suspiciously, "You said there was a name and signature in the paperwork".

"Yeah, yet Hsu and Sterling never heard of this General Hardin", Boone tossed his dusty beret on the floor and dunked his head under the tap, rinsing off the sweat and grime from his hair and face. Maya chucked him a towel and leaned against the wall, watching him dry off.

"So… What's next?"

Boone sighed, leaning over the sink and watching the dirty water spiral down the black hole, "Hsu is investigating the matter. He'll keep us in the loop".

"Maybe we should consider a career change", Maya wondered out loud, "Things are starting to get complicated again".

"Hmmm…what makes you say that?"

"I… I dunno, but my gut feeling's telling me something's coming for us" Maya insisted, "And, you know, it wouldn't be a bad thing. We could make a fresh start somewhere else, somewhere with more…greenery".

Boone pulled her to him in a hug, feeling her arms wrap around his waist tightly and her head burrowed in his chest. "Hey, don't worry. Hsu will find out what's going on and it will all blow over". He felt her head nod on his chest. "Besides, you still have a lot of work to do on those planes".

"Ugh, don't remind me" Maya grunted, gently pulling away, "So, that Courier. You two seem to have some history".

Hanging up the towel and leading Maya into the kitchen, he started preparing some devilled eggs and a can of baked beans for an early lunch, "Yeah, you know most of it".

"And… the rest of it?" she asked curiously, sitting at the table. She could tell something was bothering him; his shoulders always tensed up when he felt uncomfortable.

"Six and I went through a lot when I lost Carla", Boone sighed as he placed food laden plates on the table for them, "We had an argument after the battle at Hoover Dam… She did some things that I will never be able to forgive".

"What?" Now curiosity was getting the better of her, and Maya had to know what someone could do to anger him this much.

"She betrayed me… Got an invitation to see Caesar after we left the Tops casino. Some stranger in a suit approached us and gave her a coin, said her transgressions against the Legion were pardoned if she would accept the invitation meet with him. This all happened when she was chasing down the guy who shot her, Benny. I said we should use the opportunity to infiltrate Caesar's base and kill the bastard".

"From the sound of things, I take it she didn't agree?"

Boone shook his head slowly, taking a sip of purified water, "No".

"So…" Maya cocked her head in confusion, "She went without you?"

A sombre expression crossed his eyes; whatever it was that the Courier did was enough to make an enemy of him.

"She went across the river as she pleased, each time she did I was left waiting at the Sniper's Nest… Each time I hoped that she would come back and tell me she'd found a way to destroy the Legion camp. Or better yet, burn it down. Instead, I found out she was helping them… Helping Caesar and taking orders from him, like one of his legion dogs", Boone's words seethed with bitterness.

"Maybe she was just collecting information?" Maya suggested.

"No, that bastard was dying from a tumour in his brain. Six fixed the autodoc and allowed it to cure him. She told me herself after I hounded her for the answers. I managed to sneak into the fort in disguise in the dead of night, went into Caesar's tent and found him sleeping. Put a bullet in his skull. A lot more effective than a tumour. When I came back and told her what I did, she didn't know what to say, just stared at me stupidly; wide eyed in surprise and fear. Soon after that we got word that the Legion launched their attack on the Dam, and you know the rest".

"You went your separate ways" Maya nodded. Now his anger and resentment made sense; the Courier had helped his enemy, even after all they went through and knowing his wife was sold into slavery for the Legion.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up" Maya spoke softly.

"If I've learned anything from you, is that it's good to talk things through" Boone smiled reassuringly, "Even if I haven't got over the events yet…".

Maya reached over and gave his hand a comforting squeeze, "Same here".

* * *

Six sat alone on a bench in the training grounds in McCarran, a bottle of Sunset Sarsparilla in her good hand. Due to her injuries and the pain medication, the doc advised her to lay off the booze for a while; so she was grudgingly complying. It was a little past 10PM and the base was winding down for the night, the only movement coming from the guards who were taking up the night shift. It was a clear night and a welcoming cool breeze gently pulled at her fine shoulder length hair. It was strange to be back after spending so much time away from civilization; but it was nice to see how, despite everything, people still tried to live normal lives.

"Hey you, want some company?" Betsy walked up to her from the side, rousing her from her thoughts.

Six tapped on the wooden seat next to her.

"What you up to?" Betsy swung her leg over the bench, straddling the seat and resting an elbow on the table, a beer in one hand and the faint scent of tobacco on her breath.

"Just watching the stars" Six gazed at the sky, "Got me thinking a bit".

"Oh yeah? What about?"

Six shook her head and chuckled, "Nothing really… And everything".

Betsy smiled and took a drink from her bottle, "After what you've been through, you're lucky to still have your head, let alone be thinking of nothing and everything" she teased her, "What were you doing up there on the mountain?"

That was the question on everyone's lips since she got to McCarran. No doubt her arrival stirred up some dust, even ruffled some feathers; the von Graff twins would have had word of her presence by now.

"I was there to pick up a package" Six answered.

Betsy's right eyebrow raised in suspicion, "From Nightkin? They sending packages by courier now?"

"More like… Retrieving a package I stored there a long time ago for safekeeping".

"Alright, I get it" Betsy shrugged, finishing off her beer.

"Sorry Bets, it's… personal" Six tried to explain.

"S'alright, I'm just glad we're all still in one piece" she smiled at her. That's one thing Six appreciated about Betsy: she didn't pry or dwell on things with her.

An awkward silence spread between them, making Six shift in her seat.

"So, uh, who's the new girl?" she asked, trying to divert the attention away from herself.

"Who?" Betsy looked confused, "you mean Maya?"

Six nodded.

"Oh" the grin on Betsy's face spread, "Don't tell me you're interested in her".

Six shook her head, "Just curious, she seems to be awful close with Boone". She sensed some jealousy in Betsy's tone which made her grin inside.

"Yeah, they're joined at the hip those two".

Six felt her heartrate quicken, spreading dread through her entire body.

"Really?" Six asked, trying to hide her discontent, "Um… Wow… Would never have thought that he would… after… you know"

"Never thought anyone could fall for that cold, heartless bastard" she chuckled.

'Could say the same thing about you', Six thought bitterly, trying not to let Betsy notice her eye roll. Sometimes the things she said made Six wonder why they ever hit it off.

"So? You gonna tell me or what?" Six pressed, wanting to find out as much as she could about this woman.

With a bored shrug, Betsy gave her a brief summary, "Came to McCarran with Boone a couple months ago and convinced the brass that things needed fixin' around here, gave a grand speech about how we're all going to 'rebuild the future' and all that" she scoffed, "Hell, Hsu made her head of engineering for the NCR or something, pulled in all kinds of people to help her with the re-building of the base".

Six took another sip of her Sunset Sarsparilla to wash away the foul taste that was building in the back of her throat, "Something tells me you don't like her".

"She's a weird one. But a hard ass from what I hear".

"What do you mean by weird?"

"Can't put my finger on it", she said furrowing her brow as if trying to recall a forgotten memory, "Acts and talks different from other people round here, sticks out from the crowd without even trying to".

This was unexpected and unpleasant news for the courier; it felt as though the void between her and Boone was being wedged open even further. She didn't try to hide her feelings for him before, but neither did she burden him with it. It was her hope that one day he would let her explain, forgive her and, maybe, feel for her the way she feels for him. Now there wasn't much chance of any of that happening…

"Right…", Six tossed her empty bottle to the side, slumping in her seat from the harsh news; and Betsy noticed.

"Listen, I know you two have history. It's best to forget it" she stood up and pulled Six to her feet with a grunt, "Nothing good comes from thinking about things you can't change".

"I'm just tired" Six lied, rubbing her eyes, "And I think my pain meds are kicking in".

Smiling sympathetically, Betsy nodded and helped Six walk to her bunk.

Sliding in under her blanket, Six tried to push aside the news Betsy had given her and tried to focus on her upcoming mission. Her first challenge was figuring out a way to get to the HELIOS power station, and given her past with the NCR at the battle for the dam, how she threatened General Oliver, she wasn't exactly in their good books. But whatever she tried to do, her thoughts always rounded back to him.

'Wish I had your help Boone' she thought longingly, remembering the adventures they shared before everything became so complicated. Pulling out the faded red beret he had given her over a decade ago from her satchel, she placed it on her head, covering her eyes, and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	4. No Quarter

_Trouble stirs for the surviving members of the Railroad in Boston. Discovering their secret base in the Switchboard, the Brotherhood have once again launched an assault on the Railroad; this time with the intent on completely wiping them out and any synths they are hiding away. Nora manages to save all the intelligence the Railroad have collected, as well as co-ordinate the evacuation of their base; but she knows that Maxson won't let up unless he gets something in return..._

* * *

Chapter Text

1 week later

Location: Boston

Shells pummeling the surface could be heard deep underground in the Switchboard where many of the survivors from the Railroad were scrambling to save their gathered intelligence and their lives. Once again, the Brotherhood had found them.

After being driven away from Old North Church by the Brotherhood years ago, the last remaining members of the Railroad found sanctuary in the Switchboard again. With the Institute out of the way, it was a safe place for them to re-group. Or so they thought...

"Maisy, did you backup our information onto the drive?" Nora called above the noise of shells and people shouting and rushing, trying to salvage as much as they could.

"Almost!" Maisy yelled back, "98%...99… 100! I'm good!" she disconnected her storage drive and packed it away in her bag.

"Good! Go with the first group, Deacon will meet you at the set co-ordinates to take you to Sanctuary" she gave the young woman a hug, "You'll be safe there, take Shaun with you".

"But what about you? And the others? You need my help to purge the computers!" Maisy protested in vain.

"We'll be right behind" Nora comforted her, "But you need to go. Now!"

Maisy nodded reluctantly and followed the rest of the first group towards the exit rout, while the rest carried on salvaging any information they could and destroying any physical copies they couldn't carry. The majority of the Railroad members were evacuated by now, the only ones left were Nora, Charlie, and Theo to ensure they hadn't left any clues for the Brotherhood to find them.

Another shell explosion, this time much closer than the others, cracked the ceiling and rained dust and small debris down on everyone. Nora completed her file transfers and purged any remaining computers before helping the others down the hall into the escape tunnel; and just in time too as the following explosion rocked the room, making her stumble. She pushed the two remaining Railroad operatives into the hallway as the ceiling caved in with a rumbling groan, concrete and steel filling the main operations room. Luckily the hallways were more reinforced, but now there was only one way out for everyone. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Nora leant on the wall to steady herself, patting the dust off of her overalls.

"You alright?" Charlie, one of the new agents, came up to her holding his arm out to help.

Nora nodded, accepting his help and they continued down the tunnel. Some two hundred meters down, they reached the end of the corridor that lead into a room with computers and terminals littered around with cables haphazardly snaking on the floor and above their heads like a spider's web.

"You'd think Tinker Tom could've sorted this room a bit?!" Theo commented, almost tripping over a toolbox while Nora entered the co-ordinates in the computer.

"Everything's ready for transport, get on the platform" she ordered the two young operatives. Before entering the command to teleport them to safety, Nora took off her PipBoy and placed it in an empty backpack, handing it to the youngest operative. "Charlie, I need you to do me a favour…"

* * *

Danse stood at the top of a hill, monitoring the surrounding area before sunrise. A storm was brewing in the West, the all too familiar green clouds filled with radioactive rain blanketed the horizon. Otherwise, the area was clear. He had received an encrypted message from Nora with information that one of the Railroad operatives would make their way to his location within 6 hours. That was well over 24 hours ago. With a heavy sigh, he decided he needed to make it back to Listening Post Bravo after waiting out in the open for hours.

Walking up to his base, he allowed the turret system he had set up to scan and authorize him for entry. As the turret disengaged and the door swung open, he heard a faint call in the distance. He looked up at the turret but it had not engaged.

'Whatever it is, must be far enough away from the sensors to detect' he thought, but he wasn't going to risk it. Grabbing his laser rifle, he walked back outside keeping his head low and his rifle aimed in front of him. Walking some two hundred meters south west of his base, he heard rustling in some nearby shrubbery.

"Who's there?!" he called assertively, "Show yourself".

A faint groan answered his call just a few feet ahead of him in some dead shrubs. Danse's whole body tensed up, hoping that he didn't just stir up a feral ghoul from its slumber that was just waiting for him to get closer so it could jump him.

"Hello?!" Danse called out again.

"P-please" a faint voice answered, "Help me".

Danse rushed in, pushing the thick vegetation aside to see a young man in bloodied grey slacks, off white shirt and a tattered brown newsboy hat. Gently hauling him out of the shrubbery, he realized the man had recently been attacked, suffering at least two bullet wounds that he could see.

"Who did this to you?"

"Brotherhood" the man gasped, "Please, I need to find someone. He's close by…a place called Bravo Post".

Danse's eyes widened, "Did Nora send you?"

He nodded. This was the operative she had told him to wait for!

"Were you followed?"

"I - I don't believe so..." he winced, clutching his side, "Are you Danse?"

"Yeah. Come on", Danse nodded, "Bravo post is just up here". Shouldering almost all of Charlie's weight, Danse carried him to his base and down to the crumbling makeshift quarters.

Setting the injured man on the bed, Danse got his medkit and began examining his wounds.

"What's your name son?" he asked, trying to keep his patient pre-occupied while he prepped and administered a stimpak.

"Charlie…sir", the man grimaced as the needle pierced the skin.

"Nice to meet you Charlie", he said, feeling slightly awkward. He was never good at socializing with other people; not to mention the recent year he spent secluded in Bravo post didn't help with his social skills. Taking the scissors out of the medkit, he cut Charlie's shirt to examine the gunshot wounds. There were two that appeared to have gone straight through and the bleeding was already slowing which meant no major organs or arteries were hit, but the third bullet was definitely lodged in his side. That was going to be a bit more complicated. Taking out a pair of long forceps, gauze and some clotting agent from the kit, Danse cleaned the darkened blood around the area so he could get a better look.

"Urngh, didn't think it would hurt this much" Charlie added.

Danse's brow furrowed in confusion, "You didn't think it would hurt to get shot? You really must be new to this. What did you do before getting yourself tangled with the Railroad?"

"Worked at a junker station with my parents in Quincy. Ma took care of the shop, pa was a caravan trader and sold our wares on the road".

When Danse picked up the forceps to remove the bullet, Charlie's breathing quickened in panic. "I need you to relax so I can get the bullet out, Charlie", Danse tried to comfort him, "This is going to hurt a bit, but the stimpak I gave you will help numb the pain".

Charlie nodded, relaxing his breathing. Wasting no time, Danse quickly removed the bullet before Charlie had much chance to register what was going on. Thankfully the bullet wasn't lodged awkwardly or shattered into fragments. It was either sheer luck that all three bullets managed to miss all the important areas, or the universe had other plans for him. All that was left to do was to sterilize the wounds, bandage him up and administer a vial of clotting agent to help with the healing.

"You're going to be alright, kid", Danse reassured him, giving him some of his old clothes so he could get more comfortable. Admittedly the fit was on the larger side for Charlie, but it was better than remaining in blood and dirt soiled clothes. "What happened out there?" he asked pulling up a chair.

"I don't know how, but the Brotherhood found us. They started shelling our base out of nowhere. We were lucky that we had the teleportation plans Nora brought back from the Institute, so we all managed to make it out alive…"

Danse sighed in relief, running his fingers through his hair. The thought that his former faction had completely eradicated the Railroad did cross his mind, especially since he got Nora's encrypted message in the dead of night. Although he did not approve of the Railroad and their doings, he did harbor respect for them and their dedication. Taking time to be away from the Brotherhood and experiencing the Commonwealth as an individual also gave him a greater perspective on the matter and convinced him that Maxson's current warpath against anyone who is an abomination would result in civil war in the Commonwealth.

"That's good, at least. But I don't see why I am being involved in this".

Charlie took a deep breath to calm himself before he proceeded, "Nora surrendered herself to them, to Maxson, in a bid to spare us".

Hearing the news was like a kick to his gut. Danse wanted nothing more than to drop everything and get her back… but now more than ever, he had to keep a level head and think strategically.

"Judging from your condition, that didn't go as she had hoped", Danse pointed out.

"No, I suppose not" Charlie admitted, "But she asked me to bring you her PipBoy", he pointed over to his backpack in the corner of the room where Danse dropped it when they got inside.

Danse picked up the bag and hesitantly undid the fastenings. It was the only thing inside, the lights on the dials flickering a bright green color.

"Put it on, there's a message for you" Charlie insisted.

Securing the PipBoy on his arm, he flicked through the options and found a message in there. It prompted him for a password, which took him by surprise.

"It won't let me open the message until I enter the correct password" Danse's brow furrowed.

"Ah, yes. Nora said to tell you 'it doesn't matter how we start life as, what truly matters is what we do, what we are'" he recited the words, "I'm not sure if that helps at all".

Hearing the words made Danse smile as a memory came rushing back to him.

"Human" he whispered, typing in the letters. The screen lit up and Nora's voice recording began to play.

"Danse, I hope this message reaches you in time. I need your help… A few months ago a Railroad agent intercepted an encrypted message destined for a place called New Vegas. Unfortunately, due to a severe lack of equipment, we weren't able to decipher the message until about a week ago. What's worrying is that it has an Institute signature…

The message provides a set of co-ordinates and an activation code, A47XJ00. We don't know what it means and there's no record of it in the Institute files that we salvaged after their defeat. We need to find out what's going on , so you're going to have to get to New Vegas. There's a vertibird hidden away in Nukaworld, I have included the directions on the PipBoy's map. When you get there, tell the raiders I sent you; they'll take you to Gage and he'll handle it from there. That is, if he's still around. And Danse, whatever you do, do not let your guard down. These people will kill you if they feel they have something to gain. I'm sorry I can't be of more help… Good luck, and don't get killed."

With two beeps the recording came to an end, leaving Danse with more questions on his mind, and a heavy weight on his shoulders.

"You're going to need a disguise, you can't go looking like…that" Charlie pointed to his worn Brotherhood apparel.

Danse nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I know". He began gathering the gear he would need for the journey, trying not to dwell on the knowledge that the woman he loved... loves... was captured by Maxson's forces. Undoubtedly they would be interrogating her by now...

"The question is, what are you going to do now?"

Charlie shrugged, "Find the other members, we still have a couple of secluded safe houses scattered around".

"Feel free to use this place as long as you need" Danse replied, "By the sound of things, I'll be away for a while". Charlie thanked his newfound friend, promising to keep himself hidden away for the next couple of days until the search died down.

Waiting until night fell to start his trek to the station that would take him to the raider inhabited Nuka World, and with a backpack filled with supplies and weapons, Danse left the safety of Bravo post with a lump in his throat and a nagging urge to disregard Nora's request and go after her instead.

Checking the PipBoy's map, Danse weighed his options: follow Nora's request and go to Nuka World, where his odds of survival were poor; or completely ignore her request and go after her where, again, the odds weren't favourable. If anyone recognised him he'd be killed on the spot, although if he went to raider territory it's a guarantee that he'd be killed. He knew that Nora was just looking out for him, trying to keep him away from the Brotherhood to save his life. But Danse stood a slightly better chance of surviving an encounter with the Brotherhood than raiders. Plus he knew the Brotherhood base inside and out, all the entry points and exits, and they also had well stocked and fueled Vertibirds on hand. The complicated part would be finding a way to steal one away without anyone noticing.

"Screw it", he muttered under his breath, changing the waypoint on the PipBoy to Boston Airport. If he was going to take a risk, he'd rather take one where he had an advantage, no matter how small.


	5. Maxson

For over half an hour Nora was made to wait, handcuffed to a cold metal cafeteria chair, in the middle of a makeshift interrogation room in the Boston airport ruins. Typical that the only piece of furniture in the entire area she got stuck with was also the most uncomfortable. The air was stale, cold and had the all too familiar stench of rotting ghoul flesh, dust and motor oil; not a scent she was keen on inhaling again since the last time she passed through the ruins. The handcuffs around Nora's wrists were beginning to dig in more than usual and she was losing feeling in the tips of her fingers. The guard that brought her in secured them too tightly, no doubt to make her feel uncomfortable so she could let her guard down, slip up on a question and they would have her right where they wanted. Looks like Maxson was pulling all the stops. She knew all his tricks though, and that gave her some comfort. A guard standing next to the door across from her was staring her down. She recognised him.

"Gabriel, right?" Nora asked, meeting his cold gaze. Her question was met with silence. "I see… the silent treatment…", she raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise.

A harsh screech echoing through the empty cavernous room as the door swung open interrupted their conversation, making her squint in pain. Maxson walked in with an armed Paladin following close behind him. A personal guard, perhaps?

"You recently intercepted an encrypted Institute message" he began, taking an imposing stance about five feet in front of her, arms crossed over his chest and a familiar look in his eyes. "Tell me what you found, and I will be lenient".

It was the same look he had for Danse when he found out he was a synth: disappointment and contempt. Nora stared at the Elder silently, her mind going over possible interrogation scenarios and "what if" situations. What if she told him the truth? The truth was she didn't know what the message meant, there were no records of such a command in the Institute data files. The only two possibilities that she could think of was that either the Institute was even more prolific than they anticipated, or that the scientists that she freed were up to something… Both scenarios were terrifying to consider; and presenting either of them would end up with Maxson losing his head over her decision to let the scientists go, opening old wounds again. What if she tried to stall him, give him false information to lead him down another trail, away from the Railroad? It wasn't something she was looking forward to, after being so blunt and honest with him in the past. Besides, he'd know if she was lying.

"Well?" he asked, his voice demanding like a principal with a misbehaving student.

'A compromise then', Nora thought.

"We don't know what the message was exactly" she shrugged, "All we know is that it had an Institute signature and included an activation code. For what, we don't know".

Maxson grimaced, shaking his head. It made some thick strands of his greased hair swing loosely on the side of his face, "I knew your decision to let the Institute scientists go would come back to haunt us one day". He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling the loose ends back into place.

A cold anger spread through her body as the memory of that day come flooding back; but she bit back the venom that was teetering on her lips, taking in a quivering breath to steady herself. "Maxson, you were asking me to murder innocent people".

"They were NOT innocent!" he bellowed at her.

"They had children!" she yelled back defiantly, making him take half a step back, "There were families! You were happy condemning innocents to satisfy your little power trip. You can deny it all you want, but I saw it in your eyes that day... You revelled in their blood and destruction".

Maxson nodded, "I did, and so did every citizen of the Commonwealth. Because we secured their safety… We defeated an enemy that was technologically and intellectually more advanced than us. And you" he pointed at her, eyes seething with anger, "You put us back at square one".

"That is an outrageous claim", Nora spat back, "Just because a message has an Institute signature doesn't mean that they are back".

"Then what, hmm?" he paced side to side, wildly gesturing with his hands, "Some scavenger, or junker, happened to find a piece of Institute technology and randomly send a message out?"

Nora carelessly rolled her eyes, and Maxson's vigilant gaze caught it. Grabbing her lower jaw in his hand he brought his face close to hers, "You were a Sentinel in my ranks, I trusted you..."

"I…have never… lied to you, Elder", Nora's answered, her unwavering hazel eyes fixated on his gaze. It felt like an eternity, but slowly Maxson's expression began to soften as he realised that…she was right. In fact, she was the second person, after Danse, that he was ever able to count on an honest answer; at times too honest. He remembered the day the Brotherhood infiltrated and destroyed the Institute, her candour when they got back to the Prydwen and she informed him that she had disobeyed his order, letting the scientists go.

Maxson gently released his hold on her jaw. He believed her, but still he couldn't shake the feeling that there were motions playing around him in the shadows, plans being put in place by hidden figures who were just out of his grasp.

"Very well. Then tell me. What is the Railroad still doing, scurrying underground like molerats, in the Commonwealth? I should think that after the destruction of the Institute that there would be no need for an organisation like that to still be operational…", Maxson's head cocked in curiosity, "Surely with no more synths to rescue, your merry band should have disbanded. Unless the Institute wasn't destroyed".

Nora shook her head adamantly, "The Institute is gone".

"Then what? Hmm?", he examined her with a look of suspicion, "Why, after all these years, has the Institute become a blip on our radar again?"

"I honestly don't know", Nora answered truthfully, "But I want to find out as much as you do".

Maxson slowly paced from side to side, unsatisfied with the answers he was getting. Maybe the answer lay elsewhere...

"Are you spying on us? Spreading information to the Resistance?" his voice low and grave.

Nora couldn't believe what she was hearing; it was as though he had slapped her in the face. "What?! What kind of question is that?".

"If you weren't spying, you wouldn't be deflecting my question".

"They are NOT spying on you", his incessant suspicion was beginning to exasperate her.

"Really? Then why are there records of out troop movements being kept by your operatives?" Maxson pushed.

Nora cocked her head, "There are none, they don't keep track of Brotherhood movement".

"That's not what I found out", he pulled a data drive from his inside pocket… Maisy's data drive. Nora tried to hide her shock, but Maxson knew her too well. "I should think you'd recognise this" he said, "I thought you said you'd never lie to me".

"I didn't Maxson! I don't know what you're talking about! The Railroad doesn't keep tabs on the Brotherhood, they actively try to stay away from you", she answered, a slight desperation in her voice wondering what happened to Maisy. "Where did you get that?"

"We found it in a bag sitting in an outcropping at Oberland Station" he turned it in his hands, examining it, "No doubt it was on its way to the Resistance's small cell at Beantown Brewery".

Nora was shocked to hear this news. Maisy was supposed to get to Sanctuary, how did her bag end up all the way at Oberland Station?

"Maxson, you have to believe me when I say I don't know what's going on, or how that drive got there, let alone how the message is connected with all of this. But the Railroad doesn't have anything against the Brotherhood" Nora pleaded.

"It's funny you should say that", Maxson rubbed his chin, "Because Scribe Haylen found exactly that".

All Nora could do was stare at the drive, feeling a pit growing in her stomach.

"I don't believe you".

"I didn't think you would", he nodded to the guard who walked over to Nora and undid her restraints. Maxson grabbed her tightly by the arm and pulled her up, leading her out of the Boston ruins and to the Vertibird that was waiting for them.

"Where are you taking me?" Nora panted, trying to keep up with his swift pace.

"The Prydwen", he answered curtly, physically directing her to the seat opposite him in the craft, "I'm going to show you what you are refusing to listen to. Pilot, take us up!"

* * *

The information she was reading on Maxson's terminal were some of the most detailed Brotherhood troop movements she had seen. Everything was recorded, even photographic information of the troops, who they were and what weapons and supplies they were carrying. Nora shook her head in disbelief.

"Well? How do you explain this?"

"I can't…" Nora shook her head, "This… It doesn't make sense. This is not – "

"The type of information the Railroad collects?" Maxson interrupted, "Then either you don't know them as well as you think you do, or someone is doing a little reconnaissance for the Resistance, or the Institute".

This was damning evidence. It provided everything a group of radicals would need to ambush a supply run or attack small security group, as well as how and when to find them. How did she not know about this?

"Is this why you attacked us… attacked the Railroad?"

"We've had our suspicions for a while. There are rumours floating around the Commonwealth of the Railroad helping Resistance fighters".

"Still, you attacked us without provocation, relying on rumours instead of facts".

"No, not rumours", he opened a window on his terminal, showing live video footage of a bloodied and beaten up ghoul, chained in a cell. It was her friend, Kent Connelly, who enlisted her help to clean up the Commonwealth by posing as the Silver Shroud many years ago. Seeing him in such a state tore at her heart.

"Kent!" Nora whispered, "Let him go, he's innocent!"

"He's admitted his involvement, informed us of Railroad sympathies and support", Maxson stated indifferently, "Our Paladins found him secretly conversing with two hooded figures in the Goodneighbour area after curfew".

"He has admitted his involvement under duress!" she countered, "Which, I'll remind you, is not a credible source of evidence".

Maxson exhaled in exasperation, "You are too trusting of people; although given your character, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I wish you had listened to me all those years ago. Things could have turned out differently. Instead, we lost a lot of people, and even more resources".

"Maxson, you have to let us go", Nora insisted, "If the Railroad has been infiltrated by the Resistance, surviving members of the Institute, whatever, you are going to need my help. I promise I will find out who is leaking information".

The Elder hesitantly considered her request, weighing the risks in his mind. Judging her reaction to the information he shared with her, it was clear that she didn't know about this subterfuge. Part of him wanted to resolve this matter as quickly as possible by getting rid of the Railroad. No doubt the last attack sent them scurrying away, but it could have also backfired by presenting the perfect opportunity for them to dig deeper and out of his reach. However, the fact remained that the Brotherhood's manpower and resources were dwindling rapidly, and he couldn't spare the manpower to do a complete investigation; not while he was also in the process of trying to prevent a war breaking out.

"No…"

"God damn it Maxson!" Nora swore, "You can't just give the order to wipe them out!"

Maxson shook his head, "Kent stays… You will go and bring me the evidence I need".

Nora stared at him wide eyed, "No deal. I'm not leaving him here to be savagely beaten, tortured and humiliated by you. He's still human, no matter what you or anyone says".

"You have my word that he will not be harmed".

"Your word? He's already been harmed".

"Either you comply with my decision, or I throw you in the cell with him" Maxson answered, getting weary of their incessant back and forth argument.

Nora's gaze broke away from his, fixating on poor Kent on the screen who was nursing a bloodied jaw. "Fine… But I want to talk to him. And get a doctor to see to his injuries".

Maxson relented and took her down to their brig, making sure to bring the doctor along with them.

* * *

"I don't see why we're making an exception for this…abomination" Knight-Captain Cade grumbled behind Maxson.

"Because I said so", Maxson replied coldly, unlocking the cell door. "You have five minutes" he ushered Nora in.

Kent flinched and crawled to the corner of his cell at the sight of Cade and Maxson, cowering. "No more, please… just leave me alone" he begged.

"Don't worry Kent, no one's going to hurt you" Nora knelt next to him, taking his frail hand in hers.

"N… Nora?" his kind dark eyes connected with hers.

"Yes" she answered, trying to blink away tears, "I'm here. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. I'm going to get you out, it's just going to take a little time".

"Wha… What are you doing here?" he asked worriedly.

Nora took a breath to compose herself, "Kent, I need you to remember something for me. Did you happen to encounter any… suspicious people, around the Goodneighbour area?"

Kent's apprehensive gaze shifted around from Nora, Maxson and Cade, as though he feared being reprimanded.

"Kent, please… I just need to know if there's been anyone asking around for information about the Railroad or the Brotherhood. No one will harm you, I promise" she pleaded, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Okay…" his voice wavered, "Well… uh… There's plenty of shady characters around Goodneighbour, but… there were two, a man and woman, who would stop by occasionally and ask questions".

"What kind of questions?"

Kent shrugged, "It varied. One day they would ask if I saw any new people around, if there were a lot of raiders in the area, or if I happened to know of any good places to get some food and a drink. That sort of thing"

The lines in Nora's brow crumpled in confusion, "That's it?"

Kent looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "They also asked me about what people talked about in our parts, any news, missing people, Hancock –"

"They wanted to know about Hancock?" Nora interrupted, "Why? What did they want to know?"

"Well, yeah. He's still the mayor, so I guess they just wanted to know a bit about him. Like, what he does for the people, who he keeps company with, and… well, how long he's been a ghoul; which I thought was an odd question".

Nora had a feeling she had to get to Hancock, fast.

"Are we done here?" Maxson interjected.

"Can you remember what they looked like?" Nora persisted.

"I couldn't really see their faces well; their hoods hid most of their features. But the woman looked…formidable. Long black coat, dark brown hair, didn't say anything when her friend asked me questions, just listened. Once, when they were leaving, I think I heard her companion call her Chase".

"Time's up, let the doctor treat him now" Maxson pulled her out gruffly by her arm and led her to Ingram, who begrudgingly fitted Nora, the woman who had helped her rebuild Liberty Prime, with an armed tracking bracelet around her ankle; making sure to flash Maxson a disapproving look as she did.

"I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if you tamper with that tracker" Maxson eyed her, "You find the information that I need, and it's satisfactory, you'll be free to go".

"What about the Railroad?" Nora insisted, "Will you back down until I get what you want?"

Maxson gave her a curt nod, and escorted her to a Vertibird on the flight deck, "Pilot, drop her off wherever she needs to go within the Commonwealth" he ordered.

"Yes, Elder" the pilot's gruff voice replied.

Maxson eyed the pilot somewhat warily, "You alright, soldier?"

"Yes, Elder" he cleared his voice, "Just a cold".

"I'm sending a guard to escort you" Maxson waved to an armed Paladin dressed in civilian clothing waiting behind them, "He'll stay with you until your mission is complete, and make sure you don't run into trouble".

Nora could only nod in agreement. Seeing as he still didn't trust her, she expected nothing less. No doubt the "escort's" true purpose was to keep her from running off.

As the Vertibird's engines whined to life and disconnected with the Prydwen, Nora directed the pilot to drop them off in Charlestown, as close to Old North Church as he could get them. She would walk the rest of the way to Goodneighbour.

* * *

The Vertibird landed roughly next to an abandoned area close to Weatherby Savings & Loan. If Nora and her guard weren't secured in their seats, they would have wound up on the floor of the craft.

"Pilot, maybe you need a refresher course" the guard commented, his face as white as a sheet.

Nora undid her seatbelt and got out of the craft with the guard, happy to have both feet on steady ground again.

"Hey, where are you going?" she heard the Paladin ask and was about to answer when she turned around and noticed he wasn't talking to her. The pilot had disembarked and was walking towards him. "Maxson's orders were for you to get back to the Prydwen".

"I know" a familiar voice answered him, and in a split second the pilot had the Paladin in a headlock, only releasing him when the man passed out, gently setting him down on the ground. Nora backed away from him, fumbling in her bag for her weapon.

"Nora it's me!" the pilot walked up to her, taking off his sunglasses and pilot's helmet. It was Danse! An overwhelming sense of relief washed over her. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his chest in a tight hug.

"You complete and utter idiot!" she exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I should think it's obvious" he smiled.

Nora pushed away and struck his chest in annoyance, "You were supposed to get to New Vegas!"

"Yeah…" Danse answered hesitantly, "That was my plan. After I got you out! I was going to take this Vertibird and go".

Although grateful that he would risk his own life to rescue her, his actions could have just jeopardised her mission.

"Look, Danse, I am thankful for your concern, that you came for me and –"

"And risked my life in the process"

"Yes" Nora nodded, annoyed at being interrupted, "But Maxson let me go".

The look of confusion on Danse's face made her wish she had her camera with her.

"I don't understand"

"Maxson thinks there's a possibility that the Institute is still around, and that the Railroad is feeding information to the Resistance. I've been tasked to investigate the matter and figure out how the Institute signature is related to all of this".

"Oh…" Danse looked awkwardly down at the guard he had just assaulted and back up at Nora, "So this is not going to look good, is it?"

Nora didn't know whether she wanted to laugh, cry, or just leave him there standing stupidly next to the Paladin. One thing was for certain: this was another thing she'd have to refrain from telling Maxson.

"No, it's not. But I need you to go. I can take care of this" she urged.

Appearing somewhat dejected, Danse agreed to her request.

"You still have the PipBoy I sent you?"

"Yeah" Danse took it out of his backpack, "Safe and sound".

"Good" Nora sighed in relief. That was one part of this mission that he could not go without. "Don't lose it, you'll need it to guide you when you get to New Vegas".

"What should I expect to find there?" Danse asked curiously.

That was the real question, one which Nora couldn't help with. "Honestly… I don't know, Danse. It could be another Institute-like organisation, or you might find nothing. Whatever it is, if you happen to encounter the receiver of that message, don't interfere; just observe and collect as much data as you can and get a message back to me" she took out the PipBoy and secured it around his arm.

"How do I contact you? I doubt this Vertibird, let alone the PipBoy, has enough range to deliver a radio message to Boston" Danse asked.

"There's a Brotherhood group in a place called Hidden Valley in the Mojave, led by an Elder McNamara. Find him, they will help you", she squeezed his arm, "And don't take any unnecessary risks".

Danse placed his hand on hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He wrapped his arms around her in a farewell embrace and departed before the Paladin guard came to, setting his flight into new and unfamiliar territory.


	6. Mad About The Boy

It was Maya and Boone's first day off work in two weeks after grueling shifts repairing the aircraft in the base for her, and patrols and training the new recruits for him. The recruits were stuck in McCarran until the issue with their orders to capture Black Mountain were resolved, but they didn't seem to mind. They quickly found company with the 1st NCR Recon snipers stationed at the base, which was great as they were picking up tips and tricks first-hand from the veterans themselves. It also meant that it gave him some time to spend with Maya, something he was greatly enjoying today.

"Stop it!" Maya protested, annoyed that she was unable to control her whoops of laughter, "It's not fair!"

"What's not fair?" Boone grinned slyly as he poked her side again with his index finger and watched her flinch away, giggling. He inched closer to her but she was having none of that and almost jumped to avoid his reach! Since his recent discovery that she was extremely ticklish, he couldn't get enough amusement in trying different ways of exploiting this weakness of hers.

"It's not fair that you're not ticklish!" she put her arms out in front of her, trying to shield herself from his attacks.

Boone paused his pursuit, eyeing her up in amusement. "I like poking you".

Maya grinned and raised an eyebrow, "I'm only okay with one kind of poking from you, and this isn't it".

Boone's face turned bright red, making Maya chortle.

"Fine…" he relented, letting her finish her coffee, "If it makes you feel better, you can tickle me all you like".

"I've _tried_. You're broken… The military has trained you to resist tickle torture".

"It's mandatory training", he said in a semi serious tone. He got behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her small waist, kissing the back of her head. Maya knew he was kidding, but the way he said it made her almost believe him.

"You clearly have the upper hand and you're abusing your power".

"Hmm… Maybe I should train you. Then we'd be on equal footing" his lips moved down to her neck, teasing her and giving her goosebumps.

"Oh haha, no!" Maya shook her head, "No I've seen the way you train people, you have no mercy".

"But I have this itch, in my hands…they _need_ to tickle…" his fingers pressed lightly into her sides, threatening another attack and making Maya panic.

"No! Don't you dare!"

Too late! He swiftly picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bed as she hooted with laughter and protested playfully. Tossing her gently on the soft mattress, she quickly got up and tried to make a dash for the safety of the bathroom.

"You can't run from me!" he pursued, laughing as she collapsed on the floor in protest when he nabbed her by the waist, "You're mine!"

"Nooo!"

"Oh _yes_!" he grinned in victory, bringing her back up on the mattress and pinning her down. He struggled taking her shirt off as she wriggled and protested his every action; but when he started kissing her slowly from her stomach up to her neck instead, she quickly changed her mind.

"You tricked me!" she sighed, "If you wanted to get me into bed, all you had to do was say".

"Where's the fun in that?"

His smile was so infectious that, in that moment, she would have accepted his tickle training for life. All she wanted to do was to see him this happy every day for the rest of their lives.

She felt the tips of his fingers saunter down from her neck, breasts, stomach, hip, and thigh. Her body trembled as he teasingly caressed her neck with his lips, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. Even now after being together for almost a year, it was still incredible to her that he could make her feel this way; like she could lose herself with him.

As Boone stroked his way to her inner thigh, Maya parted her legs in anticipation, arching her back up towards him and sighing with pleasure. He slowly moved in to lock his lips with hers, savoring their softness and tasting the sweet coffee she recently drank. With one hand Boone undid her trousers and slid them down far enough to gain easy access to…

 _"Colonel Boone?"_ A man's voice called behind their front door interrupted Boone's advances, followed by a hard knock that turned their bodies rigid as they held their breaths to hear if another call would follow.

"Don't answer, maybe they'll go away", Maya whispered, eyes darting from the door to Boone who hung his head on her chest.

Another heavy-handed knock, and the man called again from behind the door, _"Colonel, sir, we have a situation"._

Boone's apologetic gaze met hers as if to ask for a rain check on their interrupted rampant passion.

"Urgh, alright… I'll get dressed", Maya rolled her eyes. She pulled on her shirt and did up her trousers in a huff while Boone attended to the soldier at their door; though before she even had a chance to get out of their bedroom and hear what was so urgent, the Private was gone.

"What was that all about?"

"There's been an incident with the Fiends", he moved through their apartment with purpose gathering his weapon and bag, "They're attacking NCR civilians about two klicks from here. The brass is calling the red berets in". Shouldering his rifle and picking up his beret, he walked up to her and held her in his arms, "I'm sorry Maya, I'll make it up to you when I get back".

"I'll be waiting", she whispered in his ear, standing on tip toes to give him a kiss. Standing in front of the doorway, she watched him as he walked down the communal staircase and through the doors to McCarran, praying that he doesn't run into trouble.

* * *

Commotion in the McCarran base roused Six from her reading. Pulling back the tent flap and looking out, she saw about two dozen soldiers gathered round with 1st Recon snipers, and more people congregating around them. Hsu was with them, standing on top of a crate to address the soldiers and she could hear his voice echoing through the base. Something was riling them up…

Pulling on her boots she left her tent and lightly jogged to the edge of the crowd that had gathered by now.

"Makenzie, Garcia, Walker and Young, take your teams and flank the enemy from the South and North West quarter. Boone and Gorobets, your group will take positions in the South East and West unoccupied buildings and pick the enemy off".

Six's ears pricked and her heart skipped a beat when Boone was mentioned. Her eyes darted through the crowd, searching for him. Making her way through the crowd, she caught sight of him standing a couple of feet to Hsu's right hand side, arms behind his back listening intently as his commanding officer gave the orders. He didn't notice her though, or if he did he was ignoring her.

"Everyone else, prepare the base to accept casualties. Let's go people!" Hsu's command dispersed the loyal crowd into an organised flurry of activity. Six waited until the General was alone before approaching him.

"What news General?"

"Fiends have attacked a civilian settlement not far from here", he answered her question absentmindedly while reading through the intel one of his aides handed him.

"Need any help?" Six asked eagerly, wanting nothing more than an excuse to break out of her dull morning and gain some karma points with the NCR, "You can send me in, I'll see if they're willing to reason with us".

Hsu scoffed at her suggestion, "From the information I've received, you'll have more luck reasoning with a deathclaw than the Fiends. No, we will proceed as planned". He gave her a curt nod before moving off with his aide on his heels to mobilise the troops for the upcoming battle, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the encampment.

Hsu was one of the only NCR Generals who not only tolerated her, but remained kind with his words and actions towards her. Given the reputation she'd acquired after the battle at the Dam and how she handled General Oliver, it didn't come as a shock to her that not many NCR personnel trusted her. Sure some soldiers most likely admired her for standing her ground against "General wait-and-see", but they would never openly admit it. What was surprising was that none of them wanted to co-operate with her. For almost two weeks she had been trying to get authorization to get into HELIOS One with no success. It looked like after the battle, the NCR had implemented new and extremely stringent security screening procedures, and if they had a black list then Six was probably on it. You couldn't get within a hundred feet of the place without being swarmed and escorted away if you didn't have authorization to be there. Even Hsu was reluctant to help her out. If she was going to have any chance of getting in there and retrieving her device, she needed to find another way in…

* * *

Two hours later and lying in bed cuddling Boone's pillow, Maya worried about him and what he would be walking into with the Fiends. Being the best sniper in the Mojave with a formidable team fighting alongside him, there was no doubt that Boone could handle himself; but there was always something in the back of her mind that thought _"what if this time…"_

Shaking her head not wanting to even entertain _that_ possibility, she burrowed her face in his pillow. It still had his scent on it, and the mere hint of it made her mind swim with lusty thoughts and desire. Her body responded in kind: face and chest flushed, a yearning knot in her stomach, and a warmth spreading from between her legs up her spine like electricity. It surprised her how quickly her body reacted to the mere thought of him, like a craving for the touch of his skin, the taste of his lips, his breath on her neck, and the warm pressure between her legs. The last thought sent her mind in a frenzy, as though her body was electrified with a fiery need and her addiction would only be soothed when he returned.

"Oh God…" she uttered, quickly getting out of bed and putting his pillow back in an attempt to gain control over herself. Getting a cold drink of water from the fridge in the hopes that it would offer some relief, she used the counter top to steady her shaky legs, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her spine and a slight wave of nausea pass through her. It wasn't until she had a drink that she realized she was breathing heavily, almost panting really. This was the fifth time she'd experienced this level of stimulation in the past two weeks; and although Maya wasn't a stranger to these kinds of thoughts and desires, what she was currently experiencing was as though someone amplified her senses tenfold! The other thing that confused her was her sense of smell. Normally she wouldn't be bothered by unpleasant scents, but lately it was as if she could smell the dust and grime in the carpet right underneath her feet. It was as though every sensation was augmented. But before Maya could get a chance to consider the cause of her symptoms, things returned back to normal.

 _'Maybe it's the regeneration chip acting up_ ' she thought, making an internal note to contact Daniel and get his thoughts on the matter. She was due for a medical but had been putting it off for some time due to her erratic schedule; and when she did have time off she was so exhausted that all she wanted to do was rest and spend time with Boone. But first she wanted to have a wander around the base and see if there were any updates on the situation with the Fiends. Just as she opened the door, she flinched with surprise at seeing Six stood in front of her, arm outstretched as though she were just about to knock on her door.

"Hey!" Maya yelped, "Err… were you looking for Craig?"

Six's right eyebrow twitched hearing her call him by his first name, "Oh, no, actually I was coming to see you".

This was unprecedented of the Courier. Although she had been in the McCarran base for about two weeks, not once did she make any attempt to talk to, let alone visit Maya. Still, if there was something that she wanted to talk about, Maya was curious to find out more. She ushered her in to the living room, offering her a drink.

"I'll just have a Sarsaparilla if you got any around" Six smiled, feeling slightly uneasy. "Have I caught you in a bad time?" she asked politely, noticing the perspiration on Maya's forehead and her flushed breathless appearance.

"Oh, no, not at all" Maya waved her concern away, getting Six her drink, "I was just… Doing a little clearing around here".

Six smiled in gratitude as Maya handed her a cold bottle, condensation already forming on the glass.

"So, what's up?"

Mulling her next words carefully in her mind, Six knew she couldn't fully disclose what she was hoping to achieve in HELIOS One, but she figured a half truth is certainly more believable than the muddled up story she'd come up with right before she knocked on her door.

"I was wondering if you'd be able to help me out", she started, setting her drink aside and meeting Maya's quizzical gaze with sincerity, "I need to get into HELIOS One, but no one's been eager to grant me authorization".

Maya smiled weakly and cocked her head slightly to the side, wondering why on Earth would the Courier _need_ to get into the power station.

"Ah, right…" she tried to think of the best way to phrase her next question without it coming off as patronizing, "I'm not sure how I can help you in that sense. Have you spoken with Hsu?"

"Yes, but the General has… _reluctantly_ … refused to help me".

"I see", Maya wondered, "I'm sorry, but I don't have that level of authority. I just don't see how _I_ can do what the General is reluctant to", she shrugged apologetically. Unless…

"Well, you already know that I'm a courier, and if you had a package to be picked up from there, such as a request for supplies for more military grade circuit boards, you know… for the aircraft repairs… then you could send _me_ to pick them up and deliver them to you. As the NCR's head of engineering, no one would think twice about that".

 _There it was_.

Maya pressed her lips, uncomfortable with the direction this was going. Hsu was kind with her and had given her all the resources at his disposal, pulled strings to get the right people in to help her with the project; hell she had him to thank for his recommendation that got her the role as NCR's lead scientist and engineer. This wasn't something she would consider lightly, especially if the General already said no to Six's request.

And _how_ did Six know she needed more military grade circuit boards?!

"If so, I would still need to speak with Hsu and get him to authorize this", Maya answered slowly, "But, please, I hope you understand that it's unlikely that I could sway his mind".

Six nodded in acknowledgement, "I know, and I understand that this…my troubles are putting you in a tough spot, but I… _really_ … need to see this through".

There was a genuine concerned plea in her voice that made Maya anxious.

"Would you be willing to tell me what it is you're searching for at HELIOS? Maybe someone there could find it and send it over. Or I could go there myself and – "

"No" Six shook her head, "I can't really describe it to you as it's been a long time since I was last there. I would remember where it is if I can get inside, but not off the top of my head".

Maya released a long and thoughtful sigh. It made Six shift in her seat, a growing restless spreading through her as what felt like minutes of silence passed between them.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do".

"Thank you!" Six sighed, grateful that someone was willing to hear her out. They shared a drink together and Maya listened to some of the Courier's adventurous stories about dealings in New Vegas and the Families. It gave Maya a bit of an insight into what kind of a place it was. She admitted to Six that she'd not had the chance to visit.

"A New Vegas virgin?!" Six exclaimed, "We'll have to remedy that. Whenever you decide you want to make a day of it, I'm your gal".

"Thanks, I'll remember that", Maya smiled.

"Right, well, I better get going and leave you to your day off".

"Yeah…some day off this turned out to be" Maya sighed, "Can't even get a break to do something normal for a change without something dragging me or Craig away".

The Courier examined her sympathetically. She couldn't imagine what a normal day for Maya would be like, but it looked like she needed a break. Badly.

"I have an idea" Six shot up out of her seat, "Why don't we go to Vegas? Together. Right now."

Maya's surprized gaze darted up to Six's, who was grinning at the prospect of popping her Vegas cherry.

"Oh, I… I dunno, Six", her eyes darted as she considered the tempting offer, "Not sure it's a good idea for me to be away when the NCR is dealing with a situation. What if there's word back on the status with the Fiends, what if they need me at the base for something?"

"Everything's going to be fine, it's probably just a couple of idiots hopped up on chems staging a shootout and they'll be taken care of before you know it" Six tried to reassure her, even though she herself was harboring some apprehension. Especially after seeing first-hand the amount of resources and man power being diverted for it; but she knew the feelings or torturous worry Maya was experiencing, and she didn't want to leave her all alone in the apartment allowing that feeling to fester. "Don't worry about Boone and the others, this is what they're trained for. They are handling this. Besides, if McCarran base needs you, they'll call you on the radio. Right?"

Maya nodded hesitantly, "I suppose…"

"Then we'll make sure to take your radio with us and keep our ears sharp. Let's go!" Six pulled her up, "We're going to have a blast!"

With that, the two women excitedly grabbed their backpacks and caught the next monorail to the Strip, eager to let go of their worries for a while and take the time to focus on having a little fun.


	7. Time in a Bottle

Ramos eyed the steaming bowl of root vegetable stew in front of him, a queasy sensation passing through him as the slightly sweet and earthy aroma wafted up to his nose. An unhappy grumbling sound escaped his stomach. His nose wrinkled in distaste and the crease in the middle of his forehead deepened. Sitting just opposite him, Ibsen didn't fail to notice the revulsion on the chief security officer's face.

"What's eating you?" he jibed with a grin, eyeing Ramos' bowl.

"Yucca…" Ramos answered in a gruff, monotone voice.

Ibsen leaned over and examined the stew, taking a sniff and raising his eyebrows in approval.

"Smells fine to me".

"We've had nothing but yucca for the past month", Ramos dipped his spoon in the viscous matter with no zeal or desire to eat, watching it sink slowly until it hit the bottom of the bowl. "If we don't get some real food, I'm going to go outside and catch molerats if I have to".

Ibsen's head cocked to one side, his eyes squinting as if trying to remember a lost memory, "Hmm… Not molerat, but I could go for some Brahmin steaks. With yucca fritters".

Ramos winced at the mention of yucca, "Keep your fritters, I'll stick with the steak".

It didn't help that he had a pulsating headache from this morning's sparing session with Veronica. She punched him so hard that she broke his nose and made his ears ring. That girl was a menace in more than one sense, but he was glad that their Elder had allowed her to return to her Brotherhood family, even if she was still butting heads with others. Luckily they had a couple of great autodocs that Daniel Hadden gave them when they completed their mission with Maya almost a year ago.

"If you don't like it you could speak with the cook", Ibsen shrugged.

"I did. Last week. I think he's trying to see how long until I lose my shit", Ramos lifted the laden spoon up to his lips, his face screwing up in disgust as the lumpy, slimy stew went down his throat.

"If you really hate it that much, then request some field rations and stop complaining", the scribe huffed in annoyance. The whining and grumbling was beginning to make his ears hurt.

Ramos mumbled his displeasure under his breath, downing another laden spoonful of stew when the base's alarm started going off. Everyone instinctually sprang into action, all taking their positions in their respective areas. Ramos bolted to security, checking the system to determine what triggered the alarms when a red faced and panting scout came rushing into his office.

"We have visual on a Brotherhood Vertibird. Its headed directly for Hidden Valley" he huffed, trying to get more air into his lungs.

"When was this?"

"Just now, got a radio message from one of our scouts 15 klicks from here. ETA 5 minutes!" and he ran off in the direction to McNamara's office.

 _Crap_ he thought. Hidden Valley base was still in the process of being re-built after last year's events when the Brotherhood council ordered their destruction. Although Daniel had offered to help rebuild their bunker, McNamara had refused, wanting instead to rebuild it with his brothers and sisters the old-fashioned way. At least he didn't refuse to make use of Daniel's seemingly unending supply of resources and materials. But this had left them all but defenceless with only a handful of turrets at their disposal and they only had approximately 30% of their group at Hidden Valley at the moment, with the rest still at the temporary bunker Daniel had loaned them. The only problem was it took a three hour flight to get there, so if they did need help at Hidden Valley, the chances of that help arriving in time were slim to none. Luckily they had installed some security cameras around the base and the grounds outside, so if this Vertibird did decide to land in the valley, they would be able to observe them and get a better idea of who they're dealing with.

Ramos initiated base wide lockdown protocol just as McNamara rushed into his office.

"What have we got?" he asked, leaning over Ramos's shoulder to observe the security terminal in front of them containing multiple video screens showing them live footage of the surroundings on the surface.

"Nothing yet" Ramos shook his head, eyes fixed on the screen showing him a clearing in the Valley; the perfect spot to land a VertiBird.

They both waited for what felt like an eternity, feeling the tension rise in the base with everyone on high alert, waiting to hear the orders from their Elder. But then as the VertiBird in question landed and a single occupant disembarked, with no signs of additional personnel or aircraft following their suit. The man seemed to observe his surroundings, then examined something on his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Ramos mumbled, watching the dark haired figure in the screen closely. The pilot, dressed in Brotherhood overalls that resembled those worn by Brotherhood at the Capitol, seemed to do a half turn while keeping his eyes on a device on his left wrist, then proceeded to their main entrance. Reaching the main bunker doors, he looked around and caught sight of their hidden camera.

 _"I'm looking for Elder McNamara"_ his low gravelly voice came from the speaker, _"Please, I need your help"_.

Ramos turned to his Elder, waiting for his orders.

"Open the main door, but keep him in the 'greeting' bay. Get your security team ready to bring him in".

With that, the Chief of Security gathered his team, suited up in their new power armour that Daniel provided them with, and gave their shocked guest the same greeting they did for the Courier many years ago. Stripping the man of his weapons and his garments, leaving him in only his underwear, they lead him to the Elder.

Sitting behind his curved metal table, McNamara leaned forward slightly to examine their new guest.

"How did you find us, stranger? And do tell the truth", his words clear and commanding, eyes watching the man's every move. Although he was dressed in Brotherhood attire and had a Brotherhood tattoo on his left arm, McNamara was wary of his unannounced presence and would require some convincing before deciding what to do with him.

"I was sent here, to the Mojave, to request your assistance in the investigation of an encrypted signal that was transmitted from the Commonwealth by the Institute", the dark-haired man replied taking a small step forward. The security team edged closer but with a wave of McNamara's hand they eased up and allowed the man to walk up to his table. .

"You took an extreme risk in coming here. My policy towards trespassers has not been... lenient".

"I am not a trespasser, Elder. My name is Danse, and I am -" he paused for a moment, a slightly hurt look crossing his face as he corrected himself, "I _was_ a Paladin under Elder Maxson's chapter in the Commonwealth".

The room fell silent, all eyes fixated on the outsider.

McNamara cocked an eyebrow, intrigued by this information. "If your Elder has stripped you of your rank, I do not see why you thought it wise to come here and ask _us_ for help". The man's dark eyes became sullen, his body language indicating regret and resolution. It appeared that his words wounded the man deeply, something McNamara did not intend for.

"I understand that you do not trust me, Elder. I have come to your home unannounced, with no rank, _no standing_ , in the Brotherhood. In effect, I am an outcast. All I ask is for a bit of your time to explain. After that, you may do with me as you wish", Danse replied openly.

Swayed by his candour, McNamara dismissed all other personnel apart from Ramos from the room, allowing Danse to explain the situation. He started from the beginning, how he was sent by Maxson to the Commonwealth to gather intelligence about a sinister organisation that called themselves The Institute and were kidnapping and replacing people with synths, how after months painstakingly combing for information, he and Nora, a newly appointed Brotherhood member by Maxson, finally found a way into the Institute and destroyed it by using Liberty Prime. Lastly, Danse explained the concerning encrypted message with an Institute signature bound for the Mojave that the Railroad had intercepted, and why it was of the utmost importance to determine its destination and recipient.

McNamara leaned forward, the crease on his forehead deepening with apprehension. "If what you say is true, this is indeed a worrisome matter; one which I would be willing to offer my assistance. However, as the Brotherhood of Steel in the Commonwealth has had more experience in this matter, I will have to contact Elder Maxson and notify him of your arrival and ask -"

"No!" Danse blurted out, panic in his voice. It made McNamara even more curiously suspicious about the circumstances that led to his exile. "Elder Maxson already knows".

McNamara squinted at him, "I don't understand" he cocked his head slightly to one side, "If he knows, why did he not contact us himself?"

Part of Danse wished that he could have lied. It could have been so much easier if he had said he was a Brotherhood Knight, but then he had no identification anymore, no tags; not to mention he was a terrible liar. If this was going to work, then he was going to tell the truth. Well… _Most_ of the truth.

"Because Elder Maxson is currently pre-occupied with a potential civil war in the Commonwealth, and consequently is short on manpower. I received the order to come to you from a direct channel in Elder Maxson's ranks; a Brotherhood Sentinel".

That seemed to do it. And it was still technically true; as far as he was aware, Nora was still a Sentinel.

"A _sentinel_?" Ramos took a few steps forward, but the security chief's Elder seemed unfazed; his gaze transfixed on Danse, watching for tell-tale signs of lies and treachery.

"This information is troubling. I will confer with my people and notify you of our decision. In the meantime, your clothing will be returned to you and you will be treated as our guest. But know that should you give us any reason to doubt your good intentions, you won't live to see the surface again".

Even though this Elder was somewhat softly spoken, unlike Maxson who had a deep, gruff commanding voice and stature, McNamara held authority without any need for posturing or chest thumping. He was undoubtedly the leader of his people, and they all hung on his every word.

Danse allowed himself to be escorted out by the security chief to some spartan guest quarters.

"Two guards are placed outside your door, so don't get any ideas" Ramos warned him.

"I understand", Danse nodded, taking a seat on the cot.

"We'll bring you some food and water soon. But in the meantime, you will want to get some rest. This could take some time".

 _'Not too long I hope'_ Danse thought, a sense of urgency spreading in his mind. He nodded his understanding and reclined on the cot, wondering what he allowed himself to get into this time…

* * *

Everywhere she looked were distractions. Bright lights from the flashing neon signs, ushers calling out different promotions of their establishments, civilians and off duty military personnel milling about from casino to casino, buying food and drink from outdoor vendors, or watching the barely clothed exotic dancers performing on the curbs. There was only one word that came to her mind that described this New Vegas she was seeing.

Lewd.

"So now that you've had a quick rundown of the place, how about we go have a drink and some fun at The Tops?" Six suggested.

Not being a fan of alcohol or gambling, especially card games, Maya resisted the urge to offer a bored shrug of agreement.

"Sure!" she replied, injecting a bit of enthusiasm and hoping that what they would find inside would be of more interest.

Six smiled happily and lead her through past the security check at the reception with no trouble. It was interesting to Maya how Six had such authority on the Strip and no one questioned her position; they accepted it and were even enthusiastic about her visit.

"Hey hey boss! Nice to have you back. What can we do for you today?" a smartly dressed man with salt and pepper hair slicked back with grease walked up to them and greeted the Courier.

"Good to see you Swank" Six flashed him a wry smile, "Just wanted to drop by and show my friend here the Tops. She's never been to the Strip before".

"Well I'll be!" Swank's eyes had a glint of mischief in them, "Then we're honoured to be the first casino to cater to your desires. Here, take these chips and play a couple rounds on the house!" he handed Maya a small stack, about half a dozen or so worn gambling chips all with the number $50 on them.

"Thank you, that's very generous" Maya replied, a bit stuck for words at someone handing her what was basically free caps.

"Business must be good Swank" Six walked over to Maya, her eyes examining the gift in her palm, "I don't recall the Tops ever giving chips out to new customers".

Swank almost stuttered, "Yeah! And it's all thanks to you boss. Never been this busy since you gave Mr. House the shaft. Literally. And we don't hand out caps to just _anyone_ , only your friend here who's never experienced the Strip". He smiled a bit too forcefully, his discomfort made obvious.

It seemed Six enjoyed making the Chairman squirm, a satisfied grin creeping in the corners of her lips. She let them get back to work and directed Maya to the roulette gambling area. For being so early in the afternoon, the place was packed with noisy gamblers all looking to change their luck and make a small fortune. It was also uncomfortably hot and stuffy inside, the sickening smell of tobacco smoke, whiskey and bad body odour permeated the room and everyone seemed to be sporting the familiar shine of perspiration on their foreheads. Following Six to a stool at one of the free roulette tables, Maya noticed a slightly stricken look cross the dealer's features as he realised who sat down in front of him. He fiddled with something under the table before greeting them.

"Welcome! What'll it be?"

"Uh… I'm not sure" Maya replied a bit confused.

"Give us a minute" Six said hardly acknowledging the dealer and focusing her attention on Maya who seemed uncomfortable. "If you're not up for it, we could go to the bar and have a drink first".

"Sure" Maya nodded, standing back up and following Six up the stairs and to a bar where a ghoul was serving beverages and food.

"What's your pleasure?" her gravelly voice called as they both took a seat at the bar stools.

"Whiskey, neat" Six tossed her some caps.

"Cola for me, thanks"

Six's amused gaze turned to Maya, "No one will judge you here, y'know?"

"I know, I'm just not a fan of alcohol" Maya answered as the barkeep sent their drinks sliding down into their palms.

"Really?" Six asked, somewhat intrigued as she downed her drink and signed for another, "So I take it you've never been drunk".

"I didn't say that".

 _'Oooh, there's a story there'_ thought Six.

"Must have been a bad experience if it's making you avoid it".

"I just don't like relinquishing reason and control over my body to a substance".

Six turned in her chair to face Maya, "So what happened?" Another glass filled a third of the way with amber coloured liquid slid into her open palm.

Taking a deep breath in to stop the cold shiver running down her spine as she remembered the horrifying encounter the first time she got drunk in a cave in Zion canyon and was swarmed by plant people. "Needless to say, I'm lucky to be alive after binging on some whiskey one Christmas and getting a rude awakening in the middle of the night" she took a sip of cool Nuka Cola.

"Aren't we all after a bottle or two?" Six chuckled, downing her second drink with a grimace as the fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. She had enough alcohol in her now that she was willing to share a few titbits to get to know her competitor a bit more. "About ten years ago I tracked down and killed the man who kindly gave me these two holes in my skull. Right here in this hotel, in his own suite. All I remember was being hopped up on Med-X and half a bottle of fire whiskey" an index finger lightly ran over the scars on her head, "Alcohol can make you do crazy shit".

"I'm sorry".

"I'm not" Six shook her head, "He got what he deserved, and I bet you gave those creatures what _they_ deserved".

"Hmph" Maya nodded, finishing her drink.

Deciding to forego the gambling tables due to overcrowding, Six got out her deck of cards and they took over a table in the bar and played a couple of hands of Caravan and Black Jack for over an hour, chatting away as they did so. Although Maya wasn't much of a card player, she found she enjoyed Caravan, even though she lost half the caps she got from Swank to the Courier.

"One thing I don't understand"

"Shoot"

"You're a Courier, right?"

"Yep"

"But you also do other work, like you mentioned you were hired as a mercenary a couple times".

"Kind of… I collected a couple of bounties on wanted individuals".

"You've also managed supply lines to Camp Forlorn Hope".

"Correct".

"And on top of all of that, you've also been a medic, you worked on repairs of the solar panels at Helios One, and as a part time investigator?"

"Yup" Six spread her cards in front of her like a fan, weighing in her options. Maya had the upper hand at this point.

"How can you juggle all of those things and still be a Courier?"

"I could ask you the same" Six put down a ten.

Maya grinned pulling out a King and laying it on the deck, winning the round and all of her caps back plus extra. "I guess you're right. But compared to you, I tend to stick to repairs and engineering. I could never collect bounties or be a mercena-"

" _Never_ say never" Six sighed with a frown, watching Maya collect her win. She was losing her edge; although her lack of attention could be attributed to the five glasses of whiskey she had. Either way, she felt like she had enough of gambling and drinking for one afternoon. "Wanna head out?"

"Thought you'd never ask" Maya sighed in relief, getting up on slightly wobbly legs.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah just…must have been sitting for too long".

Six walked close to her, keeping an eye on her balance. "If you need to you can lean on me"

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine".

When they got downstairs the place was even more packed than when they came in, so much so that both women had to push and squeeze their way through annoyed gamblers.

"God damn, when Swank said it was busy, I didn't think he'd actually allowed people to get rammed in!" Six shouted over the hubbub.

Heart pounding in her chest and breathing shallow, all Maya could think about was getting back outside. A wave of nausea started washing over her as she reached the door and pulled herself out before Swank could bid them farewell. To add to her discomfort, soon as she made it out someone bumped into her roughly, making her stumble.

"Watch it!" she snarled, spinning around to see who it was but missed the perpetrator in all the commotion. It didn't help with her racing heart either.

"Hey, you alright?" Six walked over to her, concern in her gaze. By this point Maya was panting and hunched over, hands on bent knees and looking pale. Beads of sweat trickled down her face.

"…I don't feel great" she shook her head, taking in a breath and holding it in to try to stop the second wave of nausea. It didn't work. Maya ended up regurgitating the contents in her stomach, and just before the world faded out of existence she thought she heard her mother cry out to her…

* * *

Boone stood over the bloody aftermath of the carnage the NCR unleashed on the berserker Fiends not even half an hour ago. The good news was that many of the civilians were evacuated out of the area with no casualties; the bad news was that many of the NCR soldiers were wounded and three were KIA. Gorobets and Betsy took fire and suffered multiple gunshot wounds, fortunately none were immediately life threatening. Two Fiends ambushed him, Gorobets and Betsy, practically crashing through a decrepit wall and landed on top of them, shrieking as though they were on fire. Looking back on it now it was all a blur, but if Boone hadn't been lying on his stomach on the floor with his rifle in hand, causing one of the Fiends to trip over him, he would have probably ended up with a bullet between his eyes. Luckily they had field medics standing by and Gorobets and Betsy were being taken to Camp McCarran on stretchers. They got lucky today; things could have been a lot worse. The strange thing was that the attack came out of nowhere and some of these Fiends looked…different. Boone remembered the bulging veins and bloodshot eyes of the ones that attacked them in the building; and looking around at the pile of dead bodies it looked as if all the blood vessels in their bodies had burst, leaving bruise pock marks all over their skin.

"B-B-Boone!" Craig heard Spades call his name less than a hundred feet away, "Y-you'll w-w-wanna come check this out".

Making his way through the rubble, Boone stood next to Spades and followed his gaze to an open satchel under some dust and debris, its contents of contraband visible.

"What the…" Boone muttered, reaching in and careful not to rip the bag open any more than it already was as he pulled it out. Inside were Jet inhalers, Med-X and Psycho syringes filled with a strange liquid that had a faint green tinge to it.

"C-careful! Y-you don't wanna get j-j-jabbed".

"Where did this come from?" Boone scanned the area.

"I guess it m-must have b-been on one of the Fiends" Spades stuttered, "M-m-must have dropped it in the frenzy".

"I'm going to take this back to the doc at base, maybe the answers to what happened today are in this bag".

"Good idea!" Spades nodded.

Carefully securing the flap, Boone placed the satchel in a bag and handed it to one of the medics going back to base, informing her of the contents and that it should go straight to Dr. Kemp.

"Colonel! Colonel Boone!" a young soldier came running up to him with a small envelope in his hand, "Message…for you…from McCarran" he panted.

Bemused, Boone accepted the message and ripped into the envelope. What he read on that piece of paper turned his blood cold.

* * *

Rushing through the McCarran gate and jogging through a confused squad that was in the middle of their fitness assessment, Boone got inside the terminal and weaved his way to the infirmary. About twenty paces away from the entrance he could hear Maya's voice.

"I'm fine! I don't need medical attention!" she protested, trying to push past the doctor who was adamant about keeping her in a seated position on the bed as she finished taking a vial of her blood for tests.

 _'Oh thank God she's alright'_ was his first thought at seeing her up and awake. Once the doctor gave him an approving nod, he walked up behind Maya and placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, making her jump a little.

"It's just me" he said gently, trying to catch his breath after running all the way back and through the base, "What happened? I got an emergency message that you collapsed".

Maya rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I didn't collapse, I…" she stopped, wincing as she tried to think of a better word to describe what happened.

"What?" Boone stared at her wide eyed, his palm resting gently on her cheek.

"I was sick and…then I fainted".

"Why?"

" _I don't know_ , it just _happened_ out of the blue" Maya shrugged.

"Well what happened, where were you?"

"At the strip" an apologetic look crossed her features, "Six wanted to show me around. We went to The Tops casino and played some cards between us, then it got really crowded and I guess I just got overwhelmed".

His blood boiled at the mere mention of the Courier hanging around with her, but he bit back a scathing remark and focused on Maya. "You didn't eat or drink anything that would make you sick?"

"I had two Nuka Colas", she admitted, "I'm certain that's not what made me sick. And besides, I'm fine now!"

Boone sighed, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. Maya hugged him back even though he was drenched in sweat and covered in dust. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest and felt horrible that he was so overcome with worry about her.

"… Thank goodness…" he sighed.

"I'm alright my love" she gently pulled him in for a kiss, "Honest. I just feel so stupid with everyone fussing over me while there are more serious cases to deal with". She pulled away and looked him over, making sure he wasn't injured. "What happened out there? I saw Betsy and Gorobets being taken into the intensive unit"

Boone shook his head, "We got ambushed by two Fiends hopped up on some drugs. They fired some shots at Betsy and Gorobets; but I took care of it. Don't worry, they'll pull through; they'll just have to stay off their feet for a few days". He smiled at her reassuringly. "So, did the doctors say you can come home now?"

"No" Maya sighed, "I think they want to run some blood tests first to see if everything checks out".

"That's a good idea" Boone nodded in approval, sitting on the bed next to her, sliding an arm gently around her waist, "I'll wait with you then".

* * *

Sarah Weintraub sat at her computer terminal in the reception of Vault 21 hotel, going over a list of supply orders that had to go out before the end of the day when the entrance door slid open and a man in hooded rags and black sunglasses walked through. He was a rather handsome man from what she could see. His skin was perfect, not a mark or blemish on his face or hands, and a mesmerizingly beautiful dark shade, as if obsidian made in flesh. His ragged clothing didn't seem to fit his appearance though, and Sarah felt a pang of guilt for what she was about to say.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir! I believe you may have taken a wrong turn" she said apologetically, sitting up in her chair, "This is a hotel, we only accept caps here". The man reached out dispassionately and placed two hundred neatly stacked caps on her desk.

"Will this suffice?" his cool voice asked.

Sarah looked up at him, her mouth slightly ajar in astonishment. "Sir, I'm sorry I assumed that- "

"Your best room with a computer terminal will suffice", he answered.

"Y-yes!" she nodded rapidly, almost jumping out of her chair as she grabbed the keys to the best room they had, "Certainly. This way please!"

Leading him down the stairs, through the halls, she took him to the suite. It was a bit away from the regular crowds, tucked in a quiet corner and pleasantly decorated with an ensuite bathroom.

"Here we are sir!" she handed him the key with a charming smile, "Could I ask how long you will be staying with us?"

"Just the evening, ma'am", he took the key into his palm and unlocked the door without taking his gaze away from her, sending a cold shiver down her spine, "I will be out of your way before dawn".

"Then I will have to refund you some of your caps, the amount you paid is enough for several days worth –"

"No need, ma'am" the corners of his lips curved up in a half smile, "Have a pleasant evening". And with that he entered his room, leaving Sarah feeling slightly confused and creeped out as she walked back upstairs to attend to her supply list.

* * *

Listening by the door until he heard the woman walk away, X6-88 took out a small vial containing a disposable scalpel blade with a sample of blood on it and set it on the desk next to the computer. Retrieving a pocket-sized bio-sample analyser from a pouch on his belt, he expertly loaded the blade inside the containment unit, connected the device to the terminal, and entered in a command sequence that initiated the analysis. He waited patiently as the data loaded onto the computer terminal in front of him, recording all the information. To any normal human being looking at the screen, the values were all gibberish containing both lowercase and capital letters, numbers, as well as specific symbols that all filled the screen and flashed rapidly, never containing the same sequence of characters. To X6-88 however, the characters gave him all the data he needed: blood type, red and white blood cell count, mitochondrial DNA, telomere history, radiation levels, and an overall health analysis.

"Intriguing" he mused, focusing on the hCG levels that came up. He took out a hand-held communications device hidden on the inside of his sleeve and contacted his superior.

 _"Have you collected the sample?"_ the faint voice of a young man emanated from the small speaker in the courser's hand.

"I have", X6-88 cocked his head slightly to one side.

 _"I see from your locator that you are at the Strip in Vault 21. Is that subject there with you?"_

"No, the appropriate opportunity did not present itself".

 _"I see…"_ the voice sounded slightly disappointed, _"What have you found?"_

"I am forwarding the information to your terminal as we speak, Sir. I am pleased to report that your hypothesis is correct".

 _"Excellent!"_

"Sir, there is a possible complication to your orders".

 _"Explain"._

"The subject has elevated levels of hCG in her blood".

There was a slight pause after the synth's response.

"Sir, do you wish to proceed with the current protocol?"

 _"No!"_ the man's voice was stern, _"Under no circumstances. This is an unforeseen scenario, but we will not do anything that could potentially harm or terminate the fetus"._

"I understand. What are my orders?"

…

 _"Infiltrate the base"_


	8. Two Lines and a Merger

Sitting in his office in the terminal building, General Hsu went over the reports into the investigation about the mission Boone and his recruits were sent on. The reports all seemed to say the same thing; General Hardin was an impossible man to find, almost as if he never existed.

 _'Or his service record was wiped'_ Hsu thought, squinting with tired eyes at the computer terminal in front of him in an attempt to glean as much information from the records as possible. Since Boone gave him the details of the mission to Black Mountain almost a week ago, neither Hsu nor Sterling had any luck in determining who was responsible for authorising it. But what he had come to find was that the name Hardin popped up on several occasions as a signature authorising some very unusual missions. Having not slept in over 48 hours, Hsu's weary body and mind was already past aching and was screaming for him to get some rest. The thought of his age catching up to him made him frown. He remembered days in his youth as a Private when he could go 4 to 5 days without sleep, though that was in the field and the position of General takes a higher toll on the mind and body. A knock on his open door roused him from his reverie, forcing his weary eyes open again.

"Sorry to interrupt".

It was Sterling.

"Not at all", Hsu smiled, nodding him in. Sterling took a chair opposite his General, observing him with concern.

"No offence, but you look like shit. Sir".

Sterling's casual remark made Hsu chuckle. He'd been in the NCR longer than anyone on the base, so long that if the brass handed out promotions based on service duration, Sterling would be a 5 star general by now. "I can always count on you for honesty", he nodded appreciatively, "What can I do for you?"

"The latest casualty report" Sterling handed the list to his commanding officer with a sombre expression, "I'm sorry".

Hsu's eyes scanned the list. Major Rebecca Hughes was one of the soldiers killed in action. A pit in his heart began to spread, threatening to close his throat up and stop him breathing. He had to hold back a shudder as his eyes fixated on her name… All that was left of her were the memories he had with her, and her name on this list…

"We've lost good people today" Hsu finally managed to say, his voice hoarse.

"I'm sorry James" Sterling took off his cap and held it in his hands, "I know how much you cared for her".

Major Rebecca Hughes was transferred to Camp McCarran a little over two years ago from Camp Golf. Although somewhat eccentric, she was a brilliant strategist and tactician. She wasn't a classical beauty (whatever that meant nowadays), but she was, as far as James Hsu was concerned, perfect in every sense of the word. With bright copper hair, a fearless and never give up attitude, she quickly advanced in rank. There was an instant attraction between them, and Hsu tried to find ways of seeing more of her. Fraternisation between soldiers is prohibited in the army, especially between a commanding officer and his subordinate. Hsu never stepped out of bounds, he was happy to spend time in her presence; but Rebecca was not afraid of breaking barriers and bending a few rules, so a year into her new post in McCarran she had confessed her love for him. It was the best, and worst, day of his life. He slid the list to one side; his grief would have to wait.

"We all lose friends and loved ones in situations like this. I am glad to hear that we didn't suffer any civilian casualties. I see Gorobets and Betsy have been admitted to intensive care. Any update on their condition?"

"They're in the surgery ward now. Doc says they should make a full recovery in a couple of weeks' time".

"Good to hear. Good soldiers are hard to come by these days" Hsu fought back tears that were threatening to overflow at any moment. He leaned forward in his chair and pretended to rub the tiredness from his eyes, "Anything else to report?"

Sterling looked a bit uncertain before handing him another file, "Not sure if there is a connection here, but I think I may have found something on our mystery general".

Hsu opened up the file and, to his surprise, there was only one A4 sized piece of paper in it with half a page of information consisting of brief profile details and a black stamp at the bottom that had black letters: K.I.A. The paper was also slightly leathery with a musty smell and barely holding together, as though it had been sitting in a filing cabinet somewhere for decades.

"Same name from the looks of it, no picture….rank of Private?" Hsu's face was perplexed, "And killed in action. But these dates... I don't understand". The paper indicated that Private Hardin was killed in October 2072 in the Sino-American War.

"Neither do I", Sterling shrugged and shook his head, "But that's the closest link we've managed to find. That's the _only_ file I could find that even remotely matches".

"This file must be decades old. Where did you find it?"

"I'm afraid I have to keep that information confidential General".

"Why?" Hsu was feeling mildly annoyed with all the barriers being placed in front of him.

"It's best if the identity of the informant is kept…hidden".

It wasn't like Sterling to be so secretive, but Hsu never had any reason to doubt his old friend. He accepted his answer and stood up wearily from his chair, feeling a few clicks in his lower back that reminded him no one stayed young forever.

"I think it's time we informed Boone of our findings".

"I'll send him over", Sterling nodded, getting up as well, "If you need anything, Sir, I'm at your disposal".

Grateful to have a confidant like Sterling, Hsu gave him an appreciative nod. "Just one. Find Courier Six and send her my way in about an hour. I think I may have a job for her".

* * *

A gentle knock on the door to the bathroom stall Maya occupied made her jump.

 _"Everything okay in there?"_ a nurse's voice called behind the door.

"Uhh…" Maya started hesitantly, her eyes fixated on the plastic stick sitting on her thigh, "…Yeah…"

"Are you sure? You've been in there for a while now".

"Yeah yeah, I just… I need a minute", Maya wiped the sweat beading on her forehead, "I'll be out in a few".

She didn't move until she heard the door to the toilets close behind her visitor before flushing and walking out shakily to one of the sinks to wash her hands and face. She placed the stick on the side of the ceramic surface, unable to tear her eyes away from it; from the two parallel lines. This wasn't real… It couldn't be.

"Shit" she whispered, breaking her gaze away and hanging her head over the sink to splash her face, hoping the cold water would knock her back to reality.

What was she going to say to Boone? The situation at McCarran was complicated and they recently had a few close calls, and now this added to the mix. How would he react to the news?

 _'Don't tell him. Sort it out yourself.'_ She thought desperately, pacing in front of the mirror. Why she felt terrified of this discovery she couldn't quite say. She loved Boone and did have the occasional thought about starting a family with him, but part of her didn't want this; not now. This was a difficult choice she would have to make and she wondered how she would break the news to Boone... If she would even tell him.

But she couldn't imagine doing that to him. This was too big and it would be wrong of her to keep the information from him; especially as he contributed to this as much as she had. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, she decided she would have to make the time to speak with Boone and work through it together. Maya grabbed the plastic stick, wrapping it in a paper towel and hiding it in her jean pocket before exiting the toilets; she wasn't going to leave this evidence lying around for anyone else to see. Exiting the base with a gnawing pit in her stomach after speaking about her options with the doctor, she went to find Boone. All she knew that was as soon as they dealt with the matter, the sooner she'd start feeling normal again.

* * *

When General Hsu called Six into his office to discuss a mission plan with her, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. The NCR merging with the Brotherhood of Steel Chapter in Hidden Valley?! Sure they had joined forces once, but that was in extreme circumstances to fight the Legion at Hoover Dam over a decade ago. A permanent merger was an unprecedented move, even from someone as level headed and open minded as Hsu. Whatever his real reasons were for this merger, Six was more than happy to stretch her legs and pay an old friend a visit.

It was early evening when she finally arrived at Hidden Valley. The sun had recently set and a refreshingly cool breeze swept loose strands of her strawberry blonde hair.

 _'That's odd'_ she thought, wondering why the Brotherhood's sandstorm defence was inactive. If she remembered correctly, this was about the right time that the fans outside would be kicking in. Ducking through a ripped chain linked fence, Six approached the bunker and attempted to open the main door, but the heavy slab of metal didn't budge.

"Hmph, must have added more security measures" she cocked an eyebrow, stepping back to examine the door in front of her. There was no terminal to override and definitely no lock to pick; but there was a small black dome in a recess of the bunker door, almost indistinguishable from the rest of the features except for its slightly shiny surface. Six tapped it, wondering what it could be. She could see a small lens inside and realised it must be a camera. Looking around she saw no signs of activity; there weren't even footprints leading to or out of the bunker.

"Nolan, I need to talk to you" she spoke out loud, feeling rather foolish. After a few moments when she received no reply, she began looking around the seal of the door to see if there was a lock she could pick or a seal that she could wedge open somehow, but just as she was getting ideas about using some more explosive methods, the door unlocked with a loud groan and swung open, revealing two armed Brotherhood Knights in power armour and Ramos in his Chief of Security uniform.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Ramos demanded, stepping out from the shadow of the bunker.

"Nice to see you too Ramos" the corner of Six's lips curved in a smile, "I didn't realise I needed to call in advance".

"We weren't expecting you".

"I should have called, shouldn't I?" she reluctantly lifted her arms and stood in a starfish stance to allow Ramos to perform his security check.

After thoroughly inspecting Six for any weapons, catching a couple of hidden blades and a silenced pistol, Ramos granted her permission to enter their base on condition that he accompany her.

"Personal escort, huh?" Six smirked, liking the idea of Ramos following her around.

"Don't kid yourself" Ramos retorted, immediately regretting the precondition he set, "And don't try to pull a fast one on me, I know you didn't decide to come by after a decade just to catch up over a cup of coffee".

"I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch", Six apologised genuinely, "There was a personal matter I had to attend to…".

"Right" Ramos eyed her suspiciously, "I'm sure McNamara would be eager to hear all about it".

Escorted down to McNamara's office, Six kept her senses about her, noticing the significant changes that have been made to the bunker. For one thing, the lighting was significantly improved. Last time she was down here it was hard not to bump into things and trip over yourself with the dim lighting. The floors were no longer a grate mesh but were proper floors in a glossy silver finish. It looked like the Hidden Valley Bunker was going through a major overhaul. Way down at the end of the corridor were two ominous looking turrets, sensor lights blinking as people walked by. Winding around a corner, they entered McNamara's room. He looked just as surprised to see Six as Ramos did.

"Courier! What brings you to us?" He asked curiously, getting out of his seat and walking over to stand in front of her.

"I've actually been sent here from McCarran by General Hsu with explicit orders" Six smiled, pleased to see the Elder. He had definitely aged since she last saw him, but nevertheless the years have been kind to him.

"Oh?"

"I know you don't like long drawn out conversations, so here's the brief. Hsu would like a merger between your Brotherhood and the NCR in New Vegas. The reasons behind this decision are classified and contained in the information drive provided" Six procured a data drive from a small satchel attached to her side, handing it to McNamara.

The Elder glanced hesitantly at her and the item in her hand, "There is brief, and then there's vague".

"I'm just the messenger" Six shook her head, absolving herself of all responsibility and tossing the drive at the Elder.

"Thanks" McNamara nodded curtly, loading the information onto the terminal at his desk.

"So, redecorating a bit eh?"

"Excuse me?"

Six half-heartedly pointed behind her, "I noticed there's been some changes around when Ramos escorted me to you. It's looking good" she smiled cheekily, "Much better than before. Must have a lot of free time on your hands".

McNamara never liked it when someone made assumptions, especially if it was meant as a jab; even in jest. He clenched his jaw and refused to answer. The truth was that a lot had happened since he and the Courier crossed paths; his Brotherhood was disowned by the Brotherhood Council, they were captured and tortured by a separate sect of the Council who were actually being controlled by several founders of Vault-Tec, had their base blown up and irradiated in the process, and suffered severe casualties. He wasn't about to indulge her with any of that though, so he focused his attention on his monitor. Scrolling past some information on a recent mission profile, a name stuck out at him. Hardin.

 _'I know this name…'_ he thought, slowly inching closer to the screen, _'But from where?'_

"Find anything good?" Six asked up behind his desk.

"Yes, a good reason for Ramos to escort you out unless you let me read through this" the Elder cautioned her without even looking away from the screen.

Six held up her arms in surrender and piped down.

Inside the data drive was information on specific missions, all issued by a General Hardin. A lot of the information that Hsu had provided him with had gaps, missing pieces of the whole picture and a significant amount of corrupted files. He would have to get his Scribes to look through and research the data before he could get a full picture; but from what he could glean it appeared that there was a saboteur within the NCR. Part of McNamara thought it was amusing for the NCR to come running to the Brotherhood for help after their disagreeable encounter at HELIOS One; that same part of him wanted nothing to do with helping Hsu's faction. He'd helped them once at the battle of Hoover Dam in the hopes that a mutual trust could be built and a respect for their privacy. Needless to say, his hopes never came to pass. On the other hand, if he objected to the proposal and this turned out to be a bigger fish than the NCR could handle, it could backfire and affect his people. At least they knew about the NCR; they knew their tactics, strengths and weaknesses. If there was another faction working to undermine or destroy the NCR, it could spell trouble for everyone. He pushed himself away from the monitor and stood back up.

"I will need some time to consider this…proposal" he answered Six.

"Alright. How long do you need to decide?"

"A few days, give or take. I must verify this information with my Scribes and check with security before I come to a consensus".

Six began to fidget uneasily, "Thing is, Hsu kinda asked me not to leave until I get your answer".

'Of course he did' McNamara exhaled. "Very well, Ramos will show you to our guest quarters", he nodded to his chief of security, who begrudgingly agreed and led Six out of the Elder's office.

* * *

"So how come you haven't received a promotion yet?" Six buzzed next to Ramos.

"I am chief of security. There's no higher rank than that".

"I'd thought you'd be Sentinel by now".

"That is a rank awarded only for outstanding valour, commitment, and bravery".

"So you've yet to show any of those qualities?"

Ramos's face began to flush in annoyance, and Six noticed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way".

"No, of course you didn't" he led her down a stairwell and to the under section of the base where the accommodations were located. Passing by a door with a guard standing outside it piqued the Courier's interest.

"Do you usually post guards outside quarters?"

"No, but we made an exception this time", he replied, leading her a few doors away from the guard to her temporary quarters. "This'll be your room while you're here".

"So who is it?" Six questioned, curiosity clawing at her.

Ramos sighed, relenting to her questions, "Another guest, believe it or not. Maybe we should start charging room and board".

"That's not a bad idea, but on the flip side everyone would know there's a Brotherhood of Steel faction in the Mojave".

Ramos shook his head and left her at the door to resume his real job, "Don't break anything or cause any trouble, you hear?"

 _'Can't promise anything'_ Six crossed her fingers, eyeing the door to the guarded guest quarters.

* * *

Of all the news he could receive, Maya's was the best. When she pulled him aside to the back of McCarran airport after his meeting with Hsu, he was worried that something was wrong. She was so pale, nervous and her voice broke when she told him she was pregnant. But all Boone could do was stare at her in wonder, grinning. Judging by the expression Maya was giving him, he must have looked like a fool.

"Boone this is serious"

"I-I know" he stammered, trying to wipe the grin away and failing. "But it's also the best thing I've heard all day", he took one of her hands in his and squeezed it gently. Her skin was cold and clammy, and even though it was a warm evening he could see her shivering slightly. She was scared.

"Talk to me" he pulled her gently to him, caressing her cheek, "What's wrong?"

Maya shook her head, "It's… This isn't a good time to have a baby". She pulled away from him, her hands fidgeting. Boone knew she had a tendency to do that when she felt panicked and his grin was replaced with concern.

"What are you saying?"

Pacing slowly from side to side and averting her gaze from him, Boone feared the next words that would come out of her mouth.

"I'm just saying that it's not a good time" she tried holding back tears, but he saw a droplet roll down her cheek and mark the cracked concrete beneath her feet. He didn't need to ask again about what she was thinking.

"…Oh", he took half a step back and leant on one of the concrete pillars, the sheer joy he felt when he first found out snuffed out of him. "So… You've already made up your mind?"

Silence.

Boone huffed, gently pressing his thumb and index finger to his temples in confused frustration. "I don't have a say?"

"Of course you do" Maya finally looked up at him, "But if you took the time to think about our current situation and everything that has been happening around here, I think you would agree with me".

Unable to look her in the eyes, his eyes darted at all the planes sitting uselessly in the field and clenched his jaw in frustration. Maybe she was right; over the past several months strange things have been reported around Vegas and in the NCR by locals and service men and women alike. Not to mention they did have a few close calls recently, and the Black Mountain situation was no where near a resolution. Even so, it was no excuse to try to destroy the only beautiful thing to come out of this mess; to end a life because of uncertainty.

"Yeah, well, it sounds to me like you've made your decision for the both of us". Having half a mind to go back to his post, he pushed off the column and made a start back to the 1st Recon Tent.

"Craig…"

Feeling her cold hand touch his arm froze him in his tracks, hoping she was about to recant everything.

"I promise I'm not going to do anything I just… I wanted you to know where I stand on this, and more importantly why. We can talk about it more after work when we get back to the apartment; this wasn't really a great place to have this conversation in the first place, but I was freaking out and I needed to tell you...". He could sense the pleading in her voice, felt her gaze searching for his. "The doctor said that we have some time to decide. But the sooner we do, the better".

He gave her a sidelong glance, his jaw still clenched as he held back from speaking what was really on his mind.

"Alright. We'll talk about it at home. In the meantime, you know where to find me", he answered and reluctantly began his trudge back to the more populated area of the airport, listening to the muffled scraping of Maya's boots pacing behind him until he was far enough away to drown it out.

This was the first disagreement they had had as a couple, and it wasn't something he thought he would ever have to fight over with her. In his mind there was a clear picture of the two of them with a little one or two in their arms, a modest but charming home with a play area for the kids in the back and a small garden where they would grow their vegetables and crops, tucked away in a safe and quiet area with some greenery. His heart ached for that picture to be a reality. Part of him cursed himself for not being more vocal, not standing his ground and telling her what he wanted. But when it all boiled down it was her decision, _her_ choice. He wasn't going to tell her or force her to do something she didn't want. All he could do was hope she would change her mind.

* * *

Reading the same paragraph for the third time, Six heaved a sigh of frustration as she felt her mind drift. Only four hours had gone by since she settled into her accommodation and she was already feeling an itch creep through her. The room was so small it was beginning to feel like the walls were threatening to devour her. Claustrophobia was starting to set in. Closing the book shut and chucking it on the cot, she stood up from her seat and paced in the room, counting her steps to try to quiet her mind and doing some breathing exercises. It was a technique she picked up from Arcade a long time ago, something he read about in an old world book about ways of averting anxiety attacks. She wondered what happened to him after the Battle at the Dam.

 _'Where did the years go?'_ she wondered almost mournfully, remembering the days she spent with Arcade, Veronica, Cass, her faithful pup Rex who had passed away about a year after the Dam, and Boone…

 _'I should have killed Caesar when I had the chance'._

Faint voices outside woke her from her pensiveness and she walked up to the door, pressing an ear to the cold smooth surface. She could faintly hear two men talking and couldn't resist opening the door a fraction to take a peak.

 _"I need to speak with your Elder soldier"_ a handsomely gravelly voice echoed down the corridor. Taking a sneaky peak around the corner, Six saw a tall, dark haired man addressing one of the security officers.

 _"I'm afraid I can't do that"_ the guard replied shaking his head, _"I'm under strict orders to keep you within the communal areas"._

The dark-haired man made another plea, this time to see the security officer, to which the guard agreed. Six found herself examining the dark stranger a little too long, her eyes lingering over his muscular frame and the clothing that hugged him in all the right places, the four or five-day old stubble that shadowed his jaw and stern mouth so appealingly. And those brown eyes that could make even a blind Deathclaw swoon. If Veronica were here, she'd tell her to stop drooling on the door frame and go introduce herself. Alas, the idea came too late as both men turned to walk in the opposite direction, and instead Six had to console herself by watching him walk away with a warm flush. Once the men were out of sight and earshot, Six walked out of her room and wondered what to do. She hovered in front of the entrance with no real desire to carry on reading let alone stay for another minute in that cramped accommodation. The mere thought sent panic through her mind. Quite honestly, there wasn't much she could do around here, except to wander the corridors aimlessly or go to the canteen.

 _'I could use a drink, and some food',_ she though, feeling slightly parched. She made her way down the corridor in the same direction the stranger and the guard had taken, but before she could even wind the corner there was a distant thud and all lights turned off.

"Fuck" Six hissed under her breath, fumbling for the light switch on her Pip Boy. Almost instantly the whole base was on alert and emergency lighting was initiated. Six jogged to Ramos's office in the hopes that this was just one of their drills, but her gut and the echoes of concerned shouts were telling her this was not planned.

"What's going on?!" the familiar gravelly voice called around the corner. It was the stranger. Six didn't hesitate this time and walked right up to them.

"Everything alright?"

"Who are you?" the stranger demanded, his eyes examining and scrutinising her, "You don't look like Brotherhood".

"I'm a visitor, name's Six" the Courier replied unfazed. She had experienced her fair share of cocky attitudes, his was no different. Though something about him screamed Brotherhood. "And who are you?"

"None of your business", he replied rudely.

"Well _that's_ an odd name" Six replied sardonically and walked past None-of-your-business, catching a scowl on his face.

 _'He's cute when he's angry'_

Suddenly there was a burst of activity with Ramos running full pelt at them followed by McNamara and other Brotherhood members.

"RUN! RUN GET OUT!" Ramos's voice screamed at them. Six could hear thuds in the distance getting closer. There was a split second of a deer-in-the-headlights moment before her brain registered danger. She didn't stop to ask what was going on, just knew she had to follow the others and get away from the thuds that were speeding up behind them.

Everyone was running full speed for the main door, clambering over each other to get away from an invisible enemy. Six could hear other people ahead of them evacuating the area, and as they passed through the Scribe research stations and rounded the corner she could see two Knights in power armour and laser Gatling guns directing people out, shouting "Go! Go!" as they helped stragglers along. They were in the main hallway now, the wide walkway that had seemed absurdly large was now packed with people running for the stairs; Ramos, the guard and the stranger right beside her… except for McNamara.

Six slowed and searched for him in the surging crowd, letting Ramos and the others pass her. She spotted his bright silver hair next to the two Knights. Pushing through the waves of yelling and screaming people, Six's intention was to make her way to the Elder and pull him out herself if the need arose when all of a sudden the emergency lights went out engulfing everyone on total darkness and the two turrets at the end of the hallway engaged. Bright flashing lights sputtered out the nozzles of the turrets as they swivelled on their stands aiming at anyone and everyone, their terrifying buzzing and whirring sounds intermixed with screams of pain and terror. Six couldn't see what was really happening, but she knew people around her were being cut down; felt the air go stale, hot and misty and smelling of blood, metal and gunpowder. She could taste iron on her tongue…

 _'What the hell is going on?!'_ she thought frantically, kneeling on the floor and covering her head with her arms in a brace position. Suddenly two laser Gatling guns retaliated, and the turrets immediately turned on them. One gun went down almost instantly, though it almost completely obliterated its attacker. Another five seconds of concentrated fire and the second gun was down, but not before taking both turrets out with massive sparks and a _boom_ as the main mechanisms failed, erupting in flames. What Six saw next was more haunting than the be-headings and crucifixions carried out by the Legion… Even worse than what she saw in the Divide.

The lights above started flickering on and off, providing snapshot images of the massacre in front of her. It was a sea of bodies, some still alive and begging for help, others completely ripped apart by the bullets laying in unrecognisable mounds of flesh. Six patted herself down to check for injuries, her whole body shaking uncontrollably with fear. Her hands, her face, hair, and shirt felt wet, and in the brief interim of light she could see that she was completely soaked in blood.

"NOLAN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to feel and see her way to where she last saw him. The thuds in the distance were still audible…

"ELDER MCNAMARA!"

A groan answered her call as she got close to his last known location. In the flickering light she caught sight of him lying under one of the dead Knights in power armour.

"Hey! Hey, I'm here. I got you" she reassured him and tried to pull him out from under the pile of bodies. He mumbled something incoherently, sputtering blood.

"Don't try to talk! Come on, we need to get out"

"Go!" his voice hissed, "Leave me… go!"

Six hauled the Elder on to his feet and as she did he let out a haunting howl of pain; his leg had been ripped to shreds by the turrets. Six had pulled him out from under the pile too hard and whatever flesh and sinew was holding his leg in place was ripped, causing part of his leg from below the knee to detach from his body with a sickening thud.

"Holy shit!" she gasped. Her stomach threatened to regurgitate the last of its contents, but Six held her breath and held the Elder tight. Shaking with dread and fear her immediate thought was to stop the profuse bleeding. Ripping the long sleeve off of her shirt off she tied it around his macerated appendage.

 _'Hold on! Hold on Nolan!'_ she kept repeating in her head. McNamara lost consciousness by this point and his whole body went limp.

"Aaargh!" Six groaned with now all of McNamara's weight resting on her bad shoulder and arm. Bracing herself on wobbly legs, she forced herself to stand with him over her shoulder and get to the stairs before what they were running from caught up to them.

Somehow, by whatever grace or power in the universe, she had survived the massacre unscathed. What gnawed at her was walking over and past the piles of people she couldn't save. After that everything became a blur as instincts and adrenaline kicked in and a singular need had overcome all other thought processes.

Survive.

* * *

Maya sat on the edge of their bed in the apartment, waiting for Boone to get back. It was already gone 2AM and the chances of them having a productive conversation about the pregnancy at this late hour was none existent. Boone's shift was supposed to have ended a little over three hours ago, yet there was no sight of him. Maya worried, wondering if she had upset him too much. Parts of the day were replaying in her mind; she shouldn't have pulled Boone aside like that, she should have been more in control. What the hell had overcome her?

Her eyes wandered to her PipBoy sitting on the table top counter in the kitchen. She pondered what Daniel was doing and felt an urge to call him.

 _'I suppose now's a good enough time as any'_ she encouraged herself to reach out despite the late hour. After the events with the founders of Vault-Tec, Daniel was surprised and a little disappointed in some of Maya's choices; mainly with her decision to come back to McCarran and help the NCR rebuild it. He had also expressed deep concern for her romantic pursuits with Boone.

 _"Psychologically the man's a mess"_ she remembered him say the day she told him that she was going to go back to McCarran with Boone, _"Whether or not he will admit it to others, or more importantly to you, Craig Boone is a broken man. It would take years of evaluations, mental coaching and therapy to get him back to some semblance of normality, and even then the scars he suffered would always haunt him. He's using you as a rock to lean on and keep himself from breaking"._

 _"Come on Danny!"_ Maya had scoffed, _"He's doing great! He said so himself"._

 _"He's lying Maya. Inside he's like cracked glass. One wrong nudge or tap and he will shatter. I just hope that you're not around to witness that"._

The warning Daniel had given her was repeating in her mind, and she wondered whether her dear friend was right. Maya had tried to push his cautioning to one side; it's never easy and almost impossible to accept concerned advice from friends and family when you are going through the first wave of being in love. She'd instead opted to focus on the rosy picture and fantasy of both of them living happily together. Life, unfortunately, was never rosy.

Connecting her PipBoy to the computer terminal, she accessed a communication channel with Daniel. The PipBoy contained contact information and, when prompted, would open a direct encrypted channel to Daniel's PipBoy. Kind of like a cell phone service but only between two named devices.

 _"Maya?"_ Daniel's familiar voice came from the speaker on the PipBoy. She must have woken him up because his voice was slightly hoarse and groggy.

"Yeah Danny, it's me" she tried to keep her voice from breaking, "I'm sorry to call you this late. Did I wake you?"

 _"No no, don't be silly"_ she heard papers and fabric rustling, _"I'm very happy you called. It's been a long time. How are you? What have you been up to?"_

Maya paused for a moment, pressing her lips together. "I'm fine, yeah. I was just thinking about you and realised we haven't spoken in a long time. Wanted to call and check in…"

There were several seconds of silent anticipation on the other end.

 _"Sure? You sound a bit distant"_

The bottom of Maya's lip started to tremble slightly as she felt a wave of anxiety and sadness roll over her. She sorely wished she was talking with him in person. She took a shuddering breath before continuing.

"I'm pregnant".

Silence.

"You still there?"

 _"I'm here" he answered, "Wow… When did you find out? How far along are you?"_

"Today. Had a blood test done and the doctors just wanted to confirm so I did a stick test too" she replied, her voice trailing off, "I don't know what to do…"

 _"Did something happen?"_ he asked, as if he could sense the tension. _"Just say the word and I can be there in a couple of hours"_ he replied eagerly. His offer made her lips break into a smile and her anxiety slowly ebbed away. A mix between a laugh and sob escaped her.

"…Yeah… I'd love that"

 _"Okay, I'm packing up now and will be there before dawn"_ , more rustling and footsteps from Daniel's end, _"Just sit tight, everything's going to be okay"._

Maya nodded, "Okay. I'll be here".

 _"See you soon"._

The line hung up and Maya was starting to feel a bit better. She wished her mother was alive…

Disconnecting her PipBoy from the terminal, Maya strapped it to her wrist and flicked through her bio status, curious to see if the PipBoy picked up on her new symptoms. It didn't. Disappointed that that feature was missing from such a high tech device, she removed it and tossed it on the bed. Standing back up on weary feet she walked into the kitchen and took a drink of cool purified water. Turning her back to the kitchen counter so her lower back was leaning on the smooth wooden surface, she stared out the window that overlooked McCarran airport and pictured what it would look like all done up. But something wasn't right.

A ball of light slowly growing in size in the middle of the field with the aircraft was clearly visible. Maya's eyes widened as the light started emitting sparks of electricity before burning almost as bright as the sun, forcing her to look away to shield her eyes. With a booming thunderous shock wave, the entire building shook, shattering the windows and sending shards of glass and other bits of debris shooting inside the apartment. The force was strong enough to make her loose her footing and toss her on her side.

Confusion set in her dazed and shocked mind. Alarms could be heard from outside. Air sirens.

"Ah…shit" Maya groaned, pulling herself up by using the kitchen counter top as support. Apart from being dazed and suffering some cuts she was alright, but as the cloud in her mind dissipated, a frantic thought went through her mind.

"Craig… Craig?!"

She stumbled to the window in the kitchen and could see bright red and orange flames roaring from _inside_ the base and a plume of black smoke and soot spread by the evening breeze, blocking out the stars.

"Fuck!" she whispered, running out of the door and down the stairs towards the base. The haunting sound of the air sirens made the hairs on her skin stand on end.

"Hey, you can't go in there!" a soldier wearing an NCR facewrap uniform came out of the main gate.

"Get out of the way!" Maya yelled trying to push past him, but he caught her with one arm, twisting her around.

"Stop! I've been sent to find you!"

"What?"

"I've been ordered by the Colonel to find you and take you to a safe location".

Maya's eyes widened, "Craig?! He's alright, he's alive?"

"Yes ma'am" the soldier nodded, taking her gently by the arm directing her away from the base, "Please, this way. They're evacuating and will meet up with us soon".

Maya felt her heart soar to know that Boone was alive and followed the soldier at a jogging pace, staying next to him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We don't know yet, but we have people looking into it".

For someone who had just survived an explosion and witnessed his base engulfed in flames, he was pretty calm. Too calm.

"Do you know if my team is safe? Was anyone around the aircraft when the explosion occurred".

"They're fine, ma'am".

Something about his unemotional voice sent a cold shiver through her.

"I've not seen you around before" Maya slowed to a walk and looked around, noticing that they were headed quite a way from the base, outside the patrol perimeter.

"I was transferred to McCarran about a month ago", he slowed to meet her pace, "We're almost there ma'am".

"Remind me again where we're going".

"The safepoint. The others will be with us shortly".

Maya looked back towards McCarran but there was no evidence of anyone evacuating. She stopped in her tracks, feeling her body go rigid with fear as she realised the soldier was not who he appeared to be.

"Who are you?" she asked almost inaudibly. He stopped and turned to face her, faint moonlight highlighting his perfect dark skin. They stood facing each other off for what felt an eternity.

"You are very perceptive" a grin crept over his face.

Maya felt her heart almost leap out of her chest as she turned on her heel and sprinted back to McCarran; but the soldier was unnaturally fast. He caught her with the inside of his elbow wrapping around her neck in a headlock and spinning them both around until Maya was sprawled on top her attacker, looking up at the sky and feeling his hold swiftly tighten around her neck making it hard to breathe. Immediately she lashed out with full force, using her elbows to pummel his ribs and her legs and heels to try to kick away. He tried to hold one of her arms down with his free hand but she lifted her legs above and over her head, pulling herself out from under his grip. She swung her heel to kick his head but he caught her ankle and slammed her back down with a thud.

Maya gasped as the air got knocked out of her lungs, desperately clawing at the ground to get away. She felt a hand on her shoulder push her back down into the crumbling dirt and caught a glimpse of a dark fist before the world went dark.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Prior**_

Echoes of dripping water, scurrying sounds of radroaches burying in the debris, and groaning of overloaded steel rebars and decaying vehicles combined with the wheezing and groaning of feral ghouls kept in a pen in the other side of the cavernous basement of a car park was enough to drive any sane person mad. Especially so if you had been chained to the wall for almost an entire year, deprived of food and water, and injected with various and unknown chemicals and compounds that felt as though your veins were being set alight. Nothing, no amount of training in the world could have prepared Manny for this, and it left him a broken shell of his former self.

After leaving Novac several years ago with the sudden disappearance of his partner, Boone, Manny had found steady work as a mercenary and caravan guard, escorting anyone who would pay him a high enough price. For a long time business was good, though things began to change quickly after the battle of Hoover Dam. With the Legion being pushed back out of NCR territories, the need for mercs died down and the jobs that were regularly available to him were all taken over and replaced by the good ol' NCR military. Manny would have happily re-enlisted, the only problem was he was getting a little too old for military life and the earnings were meagre compared to what he was used to. So, when he received an anonymous tip about an off the books high paying mercenary job, he didn't hesitate. Now he wished he never heard about it…

"Hello?" he groaned groggily in the shadows, listening to his voice echo through the wide-open chamber. Normally he'd get some food and water from his captors once a day, twice if he was lucky, but he'd been without either for what felt like days. Without a window to the outside, judging the passage of time was a futile attempt.

"Anyone?" he called again. The only response came from the feral ghouls who were roused by his calls. He could hear them shuffling about; luckily, they were trapped in a makeshift cell with steel bars, so he was safe… for the time being.

Manny hung his head, despair eating away at him. His thoughts began to drift, and he got an overwhelming sense that, unless he did something or someone came to his rescue, he was going to die down here and his remains would be left to rot in this damp cavernous basement, picked clean by radroaches until there was nothing left of him. He wondered if any of his old friends and colleagues ever thought about him, if he was missed. For a long time after he was captured and imprisoned, he had held hope of being rescued. That someone, somewhere, was looking out for him… But rescue never came. All he'd known for the past year was agony and torture from experiments carried out by a man who was only ever referred to as Patriot. He had three others with him, who must have been highly trained mercenaries in their combat skills to have taken Manny down, and they were all dressed in black. They handled the prisoners and brought in fresh "stock". From the time Manny had spent in this basement, they must have gone through at least fifty men, all of who perished under the needles and scalpel of Patriot. All except him.

Grunting with effort, he forced himself up, pushing his back against the cold concrete wall behind him until he was up on wobbly legs. Whoever his captors were it was certain that they had fled by now and left Manny to die. A rush of adrenaline washed over his emaciated and filthy body; this was his chance. He was going to make a break for it.

"Aaargh!" he stifled a pained growl, pulling at his restraints. A terrifying thought came to his mind as he realised that the cuffs around his wrists were secured too tightly for him to wriggle out of, even in his withered state. He remembered his time in the NCR and how sometimes he and the other soldiers would set up traps and snares to get rid of predatory animals, most of which were wild mongrel dogs and coyotes. He remembered once coming across an empty but triggered snare with a bloody severed coyote's paw. The poor thing had gnawed its own leg off to escape. It was ironic that Manny would find himself in a similar situation to that coyote. Karma really is a bitch.

Manny pulled at the chains, trying to pull them out of the worn concrete. After a couple of grunts and good persistent pulls, one of the chains came free, but the one on his right arm remained firmly attached. Panting and feeling light headed, Manny lent on the wall, examining the last restraint. Unless he had some bolt cutters, the chain would not come off the wall; it was too well secured to the concrete. Gnawing his arm off with his own teeth was certainly not an option, but if he could break his thumb, he could slip his hand out of the metal cuff. It wasn't an appealing prospect, but it was certainly better than the alternative. With one sickening twist and a snap, his thumb was broken and he pulled his hand free from the restraint.

Holding his throbbing arm, he stumbled through the chamber and escaped his dungeon. For some reason his captors had left the door unlocked; probably thought there was no point. Manny panted as he climbed up the stairs leading to the outside world. A cold wind almost knocked him off his feet when he reached the top and a pinprick sensation he never thought he would feel again woke up his senses: rain. Laughing and panting with exhilaration, he collapsed on the floor and lay on his back, watching as dark green and grey clouds passed over a starry sky, sprinkling him with rain. Finally, he was free…


	9. Good Hunting

Sitting on the dusty worn leather couch, Boone inspected what used to be his and Maya's home for the past several months with forlorn eyes. Shattered glass peppered the kitchen floor, sparkling in the early morning light. There were bits and pieces of other rocky debris that were littered around the apartment and a layer of dust and soot from the fire had already coated most surfaces like a thin film, including the bed. Although he desperately scanned the sparse room for clues, nothing seemed amiss. Apart from the bed covers being wrinkled on one side, Maya's side, it looked as though she simply left the apartment. There were no signs of a struggle or someone breaking in.

"She must have been lying on the bed before the accident", he whispered, wiping his wet face. Tears just kept welling up and rolling down his cheeks, and his whole body shivered uncontrollably.

'I should have been here with her' he cursed himself. His shift had finished hours before midnight, yet he lingered in the base with Gorobets, Betsy and Spades, dreading the talk he was supposed to have with Maya. Procrastinating. Now he wished he could turn back time.

After the explosion, the entire base went into lockdown and everyone in McCarran went into defence and search and rescue mode. All the aircraft that were recently brought back to working order by Maya and her team were incinerated. There was nothing left other than bits and pieces of unsalvageable debris. The first thing that came to Boone's mind was Maya and whether she was alright. She must definitely have seen, and felt the explosion, but in all the chaos he couldn't leave his post to check on her. And he had his orders….

"Hey" Betsy called wearily behind him, "Any sign of her?"

Boone shook his head, refusing to face her, "No. Nothing".

"I checked with everyone on the base, no one's seen her since her shift finished", Betsy walked in, inspecting the damage with concern. "Last person who saw her was Hunter. He said she went straight back to the apartments".

Robert Hunter, the second in command of the engineering team that was lead by Maya, was found with third degree burns over half of his body. He was lucky to be alive.

Boone took a sharp breath in to calm himself. He couldn't help but feel history was repeating itself. This was Carla all over again.

"She could have gone to get help" Betsy suggested.

"No, she knows the protocols we have in place. She was taken".

Betsy eyed him warily, "There's nothing here to indicate that she was taken. We've checked. Thoroughly".

"She'd be here if she wasn't" Boone replied hoarsely, "Or she'd have found some way back inside the base".

The air sirens at McCarran roared to life and both Boone and Betsy turned their attention outside. Boone ran down the stairs and made his way to the base, but a sound in the distance made him stop. It was the unmistakable whoosh of a Vertibird's propellers. Scanning the sky he caught sight of it glistening in the sunlight, moving quickly in the direction of McCarran.

"What is it?" Betsy asked behind him.

"I dunno, but we better find out".

* * *

When Daniel set out for McCarran to meet with Maya, he never expected to witness the horror that was waiting for him. Shortly after his aircraft left the Vault, he received an S.O.S message from Ramos in Hidden Valley and diverted his flight path to investigate. Witnessing the devastated Brotherhood survivors, Daniel called in for his rescue and medical teams to be sent out immediately while he loaded a severely wounded McNamara onto his Vertibird and made a bee line at high speed to McCarran for immediate medical attention, almost burning out his aircraft's engines. He stabilised McNamara with a super stimpak, clotting agent and tightly wrapped his macerated appendage to slow the bleeding. That was the best he could do to keep him alive, though without immediate surgery McNamara wouldn't make it. Another hurdle was waiting for him at McCarran, however.

Air sirens screamed to life as his craft approached the smoking base and landed about fifty feet from the entrance. As Daniel stepped off the craft, he was immediately greeted by half a dozen NCR soldiers covered in black soot and grime, all pointing their rifles at him and his pilot. Daniel kept calm and raised his arms above his head as the soldiers barked commands at him.

"Keep your hands above your head!" one of them yelled, "You move, and I'll drop you!"

"That would be unwise" Daniel replied calmly, complying with their wishes. "This is a medical emergency. I need to get to your infirmary or a man will die".

"I said don't move!" the soldier barked again when Daniel took a step forward, aiming down his scope at him.

To Daniel's relief a familiar face wearing a red beret ran up to them.

"Stand down, Private", Boone yelled, positioning himself between the soldiers and Daniel, "Do not shoot".

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, but slowly lowered their rifles when their Colonel stood between their line of fire.

Daniel examined his surroundings with concern; the black smoke coming from inside the base, the sleep deprived and agitated soldiers, all indications that the base had recently suffered an attack. "What happened here?"

"A bomb was detonated in the air hangar, that's as much as I know" Boone shook his head, "Wait… Why are you here?"

"I'll explain later" Daniel answered hurriedly, getting back inside his craft, "Is your surgery ward still intact?"

"Yeah, why?"

"McNamara is gravely wounded" Daniel grunted, "Help me with him!"

Boone climbed inside the craft and what he saw rattled him. McNamara was semi lucid, his eyes rolling back and lids fluttering as if in spasm as his head lolled on Daniel's shoulder. He was spattered in blood and missing a leg, a crimson soaked bandage keeping him from bleeding out. It made his stomach turn.

Quickly he moved to the other side of Daniel, shouldering the rest of his weight as they carried the Elder into the dishevelled base. The medical bay was chaotic and packed with injured soldiers and workers.

"I need a doctor here!" Boone's voice broke through the hectic noise. A dishevelled surgeon made his way to them followed by a nurse. By the looks on their faces, it wasn't good.

"Get him onto a gurney, now! We need to get him to surgery" the surgeon instructed. A medic close by quickly sprung to action and pulled a gurney over, helping Daniel and Boone with McNamara before quickly wheeling him away to the surgery ward.

"What happened?" Boone pulled Daniel aside, away from the noise and madness in the infirmary, "Was the Brotherhood attacked as well?"

Daniel shook his head, "I'm as much in the dark as you are, but I think we need to speak with your General".

"There's something else you need to know" Boone started, looking concerned, "Maya's missing".

"What do you mean, 'missing'?" Daniel asked, irked by such a vague statement.

"She's gone" Boone answered, a panic rising in his voice, "I went back to our quarters shortly after the incident, but she wasn't there. The door was open, all her belongings are still there. I think she was taken, kidnapped while we were dealing with the chaos".

'This day just keeps getting better and better' Daniel thought glumly.

"We'll find her, but let's deal with one thing at a time".

Boone nodded in agreement, and both men hastily proceeded to the General's office.

* * *

Though Hsu's demeanour was calm, the expression in his eyes told a different story. He could feel his chest sinking behind his uniform and had to remind himself to keep breathing. The news of an attack at Hidden Valley was a blow he never expected. More loss… More setbacks.

"I do not believe that this was a coincidence" he spoke, breaking the silence. "The fact that the Hidden Valley Brotherhood and our base was struck on the same day, only hours apart… How did they know?"

"What do you mean General?" Boone asked.

Hsu walked over to his desk, pulling a file out of one of his drawers. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at both men in front of him warily, before finally relenting.

"I drew up a document, a contract of sorts, for a merger between the NCR in McCarran and the Brotherhood in Hidden Valley".

"What?!" Boone uttered, stunned with the General's decision. Daniel, however, didn't seem surprised with the news. A stern look from Hsu reminded Boone of his etiquette and position.

"It was a logical step forward after the help we received from them at Hoover Dam. General Oliver has been a steadfast opponent to this idea, but… Over the years I have been able to convince the President of the benefits that this merger could bring us. We prepared a fair proposal and I sent Courier Six to deliver an electronic copy of that proposal to the Elder" Hsu hung his head slightly, "Dr., have you any information on what might have gone wrong at Hidden Valley?"

"Only that there was a malfunction at the base and that the systems turned against the occupants" Daniel answered, "I do not currently have an explanation as to why, or how, that has occurred. But I have dispatched my team to investigate and provide aid".

"Who else would have known about the merger, General?" Boone asked.

Hsu shook his head, "No one, this was top secret. Only the President and I had access to this information".

"Are we even certain that this terrorist act has been carried out because of the proposed merger?" Daniel asked.

"I do not see any other reason or evidence of otherwise" Hsu crossed his arms in front of his chest, slowly pacing back and forth, "I admit that I do not have the man power at present to launch a full investigation, but it is the only logical conclusion".

Daniel nodded understandingly, "Would you be willing to allow me to carry out these investigations?"

"With all due respect, Dr., we have only just met. From what you've told me, you are not part of the NCR military or board of advisors. All I have is the word of Col. Boone that you are a friendly, but that does not mean I trust you. In fact, if it wasn't for Boone's good word, you and your pilot outside would have been arrested and in an interrogation cell by now".

His words didn't seem to phase the Dr., which both interested and concerned Hsu. The man seemed to be almost bored of his reply, as if dealing with high ranking military officials wasn't a big deal.

"Very well, I shall restrict my investigation to the situation at Hidden Valley then" Dr. Hadden replied cooly, removing his horn-rimmed glasses and wiping the dust and soot off the glass, "I do not wish to put you in a more precarious position than you already are. But if you do require assistance, of any kind, you need only call".

He nodded and walked out of the General's office. Hsu glanced at Boone in surprise and waited before Hadden was out of earshot before he spoke with Boone.

"One day, you'll have to tell me how you came to meet that man. But on to more pressing matters. Have you found Maya?"

Boone's shoulders drooped visibly, "No Sir. I examined our quarters and there was no sign of her".

"Alright…" Hsu paced, trying to plan the next steps, "Gather a search team. We can spare a few good men and women for a few hours at least. Keep a radio channel open with the comms team; if it is as you feared, that someone did kidnap her, you might need backup".

"Thank you, Sir," Boone nodded.

"Good hunting".

* * *

Daniel was fuming inside. He straightened his tie, trying to keep hold of his distinctive level-headed composure, even though the voice inside his head was anything but composed. Standing outside the main gate to McCarran, he scrolled through some unusual sensor readings his PipBoy had picked up in the distance. Dealing with the stubbornness of Generals and military personnel irked him more than anything. He could never understand their closed mindedness and arrogance, let alone why Maya had chosen to associate herself with such…primitives.

The gate behind him screeched open and Boone walked out with three other soldiers, all looking as though they were ready to traverse the width and breadth of the Mojave.

"What is this?" Daniel pointed to the others, unable to mask his annoyance.

"Search party. We're going to find Maya".

"No need, I think I know where she is".

Boone perked up immediately, "Where?! What did you find?"

"A decaying transport signature about 0.8 of a mile in that direction" Daniel pointed in the direction of what used to be Fiend territory.

"Let's go" Boone called behind him and started a march in the direction Daniel was pointing.

"You won't find anything there", Daniel caught Boone's arm, twisting the sniper back around, "It's a decayed signature, meaning whatever it was is gone".

"So what do we do then?" Boone asked, almost shouting at Daniel. The desperation in his voice was noticeable.

Daniel pulled him aside away from the others, eyeing him up with concern. A desperate man can be useful in certain situations with the right motivation, but a broken and desperate man would only be a hindrance.

"Boone, I know you're worried about her. So am I. But we can't lose our heads, not now when she needs us most".

"I know, I'm fine" Boone almost snarled back, making Daniel take half a step back.

"No, you're not. But you will be" he said, taking off a pin on his jacket and pricking Boone's arm.

"Argh!" Boone winced, pulling his arm away and examining the small red dot where the needle broke through the skin, "The hell did you do that for?!"

"It's a neural stabiliser, you should feel it start to work in a few seconds" Daniel put his pin back on the lapel of his suit jacket, "It will help stabilise your emotions, keep you calmer".

"If Maya didn't care so much about you, I would put you in the ground for that".

"I don't doubt that" Daniel said calmly, "But no matter how much you like to deny it, I think we both know that you needed that. Now maybe you'll actually stop and listen to reason".

Boone felt a reassuring calmness flow through him and overwhelm his fiery rage. He tried to fight it, but it was futile, almost like trying to swim up current while waves crashed and forced him underwater. His tense body and stance visibly relaxed and suddenly he felt something he thought was not possible. He felt calm.

"If the signature has decayed, what options do we have?" Boone asked, his voice determined and in control.

"We can use my craft's sensors to estimate where their trajectory would have dropped them off" Daniel smiled, happy with the results of the drug.

"Alright" Boone agreed, following Daniel back to the craft. "Are you sure that this is the cause of Maya's disappearance?"

Daniel thought for a moment, "I believe it to be the only cause. You said yourself that you and your experienced personnel were unable to find any other possibilities. This energy signature is similar to one I've seen in the past; and if it is who I think it is, then there's an even higher probability that you are correct: she has been kidnapped".

After a couple of minutes, they were able to determine a rough trajectory of the transport stream to within a twenty-mile radius.

"Hope you have enough supplies packed" Daniel commented, unhooking his PipBoy from the craft's sensors and securing himself in a seat in the back.

"Where are we going?" Boone asked, signalling the other three soldiers to follow suit and strap themselves in the back seats.

"To a neighbouring city, Denver".

The Vertibird's engines whined to life and the six of them departed McCarran, leaving the Mojave far behind.

* * *

Nora sat at the bar in The Third Rail listening to one of Magnolia's songs for the umpteenth time. About two weeks had passed since Maxson set her free to search for some answers, and the Brotherhood guard that she was stuck with was beginning to lose his temper with her on a regular basis. Dressed in casual wear and sitting in a dark corner of the room, pretending to drink the same bottle of beer for over half an hour, the Paladin would glower in her direction every so often, making sure she was still there. She needed to find some answers, soon, before the idiot decided to drag her back to the airport empty handed.

'I can't go back with nothing' Nora thought desperately, hoping Kent was alright. After days of chasing ghosts and empty trails, she decided she needed to take a more unconventional route.

A shower of applause roused her from her thoughts. This was her queue.

"Mags!" Nora called, waving the dark-haired woman over to her.

"My word…" Magnolia looked visibly surprised to see her again and walked straight over to Nora, "I'd slap you if I wasn't so fond of your beautiful face".

"It's good to see you again too, Mags" Nora smiled, offering her a drink.

"Hmph, trying to win me over?" the corners of Magnolia's lips crept into a sultry smile. She eyed the shot of whiskey teasingly before accepting the offer.

"Always, what with all the people vying for your attention" Nora answered wittily. After all the years spent in the ruins of the Commonwealth, Nora never lost her quick wit and playful nature. Nate used to love that about her. The random thought of him made her feel a lump in her throat.

"So, what have you been doing with yourself?" Mags asked, finishing the drink and signalling to the bar keep for another.

"Oh, I've been keeping busy" Nora winked, raising her glass of whisky to her lips, "A bit of scavenging here and there".

"Oh, did you find anything good lately?"

Nora made a pause before answering, more for effect than anything else. She locked eyes with the dark-haired vixen, who seemed eager to find out what all the fuss was about.

"…You could say that".

Mags flicked her raven hair back, "Well, don't keep a girl waiting".

Nora played with her empty glass, watching the light reflect and refract inside it. "I found some very interesting information about a certain somebody. In Goodneighbor".

"Oh, who? Better not be more rumours about that raider and Fahrenheit, that rumour's just getting too old".

"It's not about her, it's about you, and they're not rumours" Nora smiled coyly, signalling another drink.

"Me?" Mags tittered, a perplexed look crossing her expression, "What on Earth could you have possibly found?"

"That you're a synth", Nora answered casually.

Magnolia's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets and a fearful expression replaced her usual sultriness.

"Please, keep your voice down" she hissed desperately.

"Oh…" Nora feigned ignorance and ignored her request, speaking slightly louder so others nearby could hear, "So… you haven't told anyone about your…condition?"

A couple of men sitting close to them looked over in their direction curiously.

"Please! Don't!" Mags whispered, shaking her head vigorously, "What do you want? I'll do it, whatever it is, name it". She was so close to tears that Nora felt a pang of guilt for her.

"I need your help" she whispered, "I need information on who has been feeding information to the Resistance about Brotherhood movement".

"Done" Mags nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I need to know where their strong posts are".

"Alright…" Mags relented, looking more concerned with that request.

"And… I need you to get me to Chase".

The final request made Magnolia visibly nervous as she shifted in her seat and glanced around her, "I… I can't do that".

Nora felt her stomach turn for what she was about to say next. She downed the last of her whiskey and huffed disappointedly, "Then your secret's about to become public knowledge".

Magnolia desperately grabbed her arm as Nora moved to get up out of her seat, "No, please… Okay, I'll do it. I need some time for the last one" she whispered. Tears were streaming down her beautiful face, sending a sickening wave of disgust through Nora's body. "Please… Two days, I promise, that's all I'll need".

Nora nodded and gave Magnolia's arm a squeeze.

"It was lovely to see you" she answered loudly to signal the Paladin that she was done, giving Magnolia an embrace and a kiss on the cheek, "We must have drinks again soon!". She got up and walked up the stairs and out of The Third Rail, trying not to walk too fast to avoid raising suspicions. A warm wave of nausea washed over her again as she walked out and turned the corner. It was so overwhelming that she started to dry heave and had to stop in a side alley.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" a familiar grouchy voice called behind her. She felt the Paladin's strong hand gruffly grab hold of her and turn her around to face him, causing her to regurgitate the contents of her stomach all over his shoes. The look of surprised disgust on his face was priceless.

"I'm doing my job, while you just sit on your ass" she answered, spitting the remaining bile out.

"I should drag you back to Maxson right now" the Paladin threatened, staring her down. Luckily, Nora was impossible to intimidate, and that was probably what aggravated him the most.

"If I don't have the information Maxson needs in two days, I'll give you the satisfaction of letting you do just that".


	10. Welcome To The Jungle

Listening to the distant rumble and thump of his vessel's beating heart, Arthur Maxson lay in his quarters aboard the Prydwen, absorbed in his thoughts and hopelessness. Over the past four days sleep was impossible; not because he was unable to, but because of the chaos surrounding him. The citizens in the Commonwealth were growing more and more impatient, and every day he was getting reports of altercations between Brotherhood soldiers and civilians. There was even a public protest the Brotherhood in Diamond City where people demanded Maxson and his people pack up and leave. On top of everything, Proctor Ingram informed him that they have all but run out of coolant for their engines as the steady supply over the years had completely dried up. Part of Arthur knew that this was an inevitability, given their extended stay in the Commonwealth as he wanted to establish a firm Brotherhood presence in Boston; but this wasn't the way he pictured it. Ingram estimated another five days before they were at 10%, then they'd have no choice but to land the ship.

He found himself missing the company of Danse more and more, despite the knowledge that he is a synth. Although initially he regretted letting Danse go, given time he realised that it was the right thing to do. With the Institute eliminated, he had no worries that his decision would come back to haunt him. But he couldn't stop thinking that somewhere out there, someone knew their weak spots and was hitting them hard.

He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched at his beard, both of which were in dire need of a trim. More than anything though, he needed a miracle to get him out of this situation. A knock on his door snapped him back to attention as he swiftly stood up, pulled at the top of his uniform to straighten it out, and picked up the up-to-date ground report while taking up his signature commanding stance: legs just shy of shoulder width apart, chest slightly out and back straight.

"Come in" he answered.

The door swung open with a groan revealing a concerned Proctor Teagan, who stood uneasily at the precipice of the doorway. It was unusual for Teagan to pay his Elder a visit, mostly due to his busy position in supply acquisition.

"Proctor Teagan! This is unexpected".

"Uh, yes… Elder" Teagan began uneasily, "I'm sorry to have to be another bearer of bad news, but…"

Arthur didn't like the sound of this.

"Please, Proctor. What is troubling you?"

"As you know, we've been having trouble meeting our food supply demands over the past several weeks. Well uh… The farms have refused to supply us any longer" Teagan's shoulders slumped defeatedly, "I'm sorry Elder, we tried everything, but they won't budge".

"Did you offer financial compensation?" Maxson queried, trying to remain calm while everything around him came crumbling down.

Teagan nodded, "Yes, even went as far as to offer them 5,000 caps, but they flat out refused".

'Fuck'. Maxson dropped his report on the table and began pacing slowly in his room.

"What do you want us to do, Sir?" Teagan asked, watching his leader with concern.

"Thank you for notifying me, Teagan. I'll handle the situation. In the meantime, how long before our food reserves run out?"

Teagan scratched his head and shrugged as he tried to come to an estimate, "About a month at our current consumption. Could push it to two if we started rationing today".

Arthur nodded, "Alright, give the word. Anything else?"

"No, Elder" Teagan shook his head.

"Very well, dismissed", Arthur replied.

He dared not relax his composure now for fear of the news crushing him with its weight. One thing he couldn't understand was how did things get so bad and where did he go wrong. As he paced in his room, he came to the frightening realisation that neither he, nor his soldiers, could solve this on their own. Brute force would only result in more deaths, diplomacy would fall on deaf ears. The message in the Commonwealth was loud and clear: they wanted the Brotherhood out. What they needed was an intermediary, a party that would be open to a dialogue and willing to listen. And for that, he needed someone who knew the Commonwealth better than anyone.

* * *

Examining the latest sample X6-88 collected from their new guest sent a shiver of excitement through Liam Binet's body. He watched with bated breath as the cells replicated perfectly in his petri dish. It was still early in the process to tell if his theory would work, but preliminary results were astounding. Resistance to radiation, no degradation of DNA during production of new cells, and improved regenerative properties were some of the latest findings. Now the difficulty lay in attempting to replicate the same result with a cell culture from a different specimen. For that, he would need to speak with his guest to get more information.

He wished his father were still alive to see the results for himself; he would have been proud. Removing the sample from under the lens of the microscope, he placed the petri dish back into the incubation chamber, setting a timer for another six hours. There was another matter he had to attend to; his guest would be awake by now, and a formal introduction was due.

"X6, would you come down and meet me in the holding area? I think it's time we introduced ourselves. Oh, and bring Cross with you" he spoke excitedly into an intercom system.

"Yes Sir" a swift reply came.

Liam made his way down the dark and dusty hallway of Greentech Genetics. It wasn't the most ideal location to hide, what with it being so close to the BOS occupied Cambridge Police Station; but it was the best site in terms of equipment he required to carry out his tests. He wasn't worried, they weren't going to stay here for very long. And if things did get hairy, he could always rely on the Coursers to handle the situation.

X6 was already waiting for him by the time he arrived at the holding area.

"Where's Cross?" he looked over the Courser's shoulder, "Hope she's not getting cold feet now".

"She will be with us in a moment", X6 reassured his leader, "How do you want to handle the subject?"

"I have a feeling being honest will help us in the long run", Liam smiled, "But if it doesn't, we can try to wipe her short-term memory and try again".

"Very well. I recommend you allow me to accompany you. She can turn violent" X6 suggested, but Liam waved his concerns away.

"If she sees you, she definitely will be" he unlocked the door, "Make sure Cross is here in time for my signal. We need this to go without a hitch".

X6 nodded and stood watch outside while Liam entered the dimly lit room. Even though she was his test subject, he tried to make the temporary accommodations as comfortable for her as possible. She was still lying on the bed in a semi foetal position, her breathing regular but still asleep.

'Damn it X6! I told you not to harm her' he thought crossly. If she was still asleep, it was a possible sign that she might have suffered a concussion, and that could be fatal to the foetus. Moving hurriedly to the side of her bed, he checked her pulse and turned her over, but wasn't prepared for what happened next. Almost leaping out of the bed, she rammed and pinned him against the floor, pressing a sharp object into his jugular with a satisfied deadly look on her face. The door to the room slid open and X6 stood over them holding an institute pistol at her head.

"Step away!" he commanded coldly, but Maya pressed harder until a shiny red mark began to appear on Liam's neck where the edge began to pierce through the skin.

"Stop!" Liam yelled, holding his arms to the side as a peaceful gesture, "No one is killing anyone!"

"Wanna bet?" Maya growled, digging deeper until the he let out a pained cry.

"We don't want to harm you!" he pleaded, "I brought you here because I need your help!"

"Bullshit!" Maya spat back, "If you meant me no harm you wouldn't have kidnapped me!"

"I know how this looks but please, hear me out!" he implored, "And if you still feel the same way after, you are free to go, I swear!".

"No deal! I'll tell you what's going to happen. You're going to let me go. Right now! Or I'll bleed you here on the floor".

"Maya!" a woman's voice came from the doorway, but Maya couldn't hear anything other than the rushing of blood in her ears from the adrenaline that was pumping through her. "Maya, STOP!" the woman insisted, kneeling next to her. It wasn't until she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder that Maya flinched back, her deadly rage replaced by shock and disbelief. She pushed herself away from her kidnapper and stumbled back onto her feet, keeping a firm hold of her makeshift shiv in her hand.

"…Cross?"

The woman's face lit up with joy as Maya recognised her, and her eyes started to well up with tears, "It's me".

Maya stood rigid, unsure of how to proceed with the situation she was placed in. Cross moved between X6 and Maya, shielding her from his aim.

"I promise to explain everything", she slowly held out her hand, "In all the years that we have served together, I have never failed you. You've trusted me before. Trust me now".

* * *

After the altercation, Cross managed to convince Liam to allow her and Maya some time alone to explain the situation. He was hesitant at first to let them go outside, but Cross convinced him that it would be an act of goodwill and trust on his part. Realising the benefits of such an act, he agreed, on the condition that X6 accompany them.

The two women stood outside of Greentech Genetics building, with X6 remaining close by under orders to keep both women safe. It was about an hour past sunset and a cold mid-October wind was nipping at their exposed skin. After living in the Mojave for so long, Maya wasn't used to the sudden drop in temperature. Shivering and teeth chattering from the cold, she stiffened her body and shoved her hands in her pockets to keep warm.

"Here", Cross took off her long trench coat, draping it over Maya's shoulders, "It's going to be an early winter from the look of the weather".

Maya rooted herself to the spot, consciously stopping herself from flinching away. She could hardly believe that Cross was standing right in front of her; it had been decades since they last saw each other. "Where the fuck am I?" Maya hissed, eyes darting from the woman to the Courser, "And what the hell is going on?!"

"You're in Boston. More specifically Greentech Genetics" Cross answered calmly, taking a seat on one of the stairs, "And you're here because we need your help".

Maya shook her head in disbelief, "You were behind this?!"

"No" Cross gingerly tapped the free spot on the step next to her, "Sit down, this'll take some explaining".

"I don't have time for this" Maya shook her head in frustration as she moved to go back inside the building, "Whatever this is, I don't want any part of it. Just give me my things and I'll walk back to the Mojave if I have to".

"Not even for Sarah?"

The mention of Sarah stopped her in her tracks. Though she knew that Sarah wasn't her great great great granddaughter, the day she found out that Sarah was killed in battle felt like someone had ripped her heart out. Guilt gripped tightly at her, crushing her throat and chest and she couldn't stop herself from wondering if she had stayed… maybe things would have turned out differently.

Cross heaved a heavy-hearted sigh and walked up to her old friend, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know that look all too well. I can tell you that even if you had stayed with us, it wouldn't have changed anything".

"You don't know that", Maya looked up at her, the woman who had sworn her life to protect her and Sarah.

"Maybe not" Cross shook her head, "But I do know that you had to find your way in this world. To find a way of getting back to him". She looked up at the building with a glint in her eye and turned to Maya, "I've got something to show you. Follow me".

Trudging back inside the building, the lower level littered with debris and garbage, Maya and X6 followed Cross to an elevator to the top floor. With a ding, the elevator doors slid open and what Maya saw made her feel light headed and her skin crawl. The top of the building was a balcony completely exposed to the elements with no safety railings, just two steel support struts. The wind battered them with strong gusts; Maya suddenly had a terrifying thought of being swept off the side by the wind and plummeting to her death in her mind. But the view to the East almost took her breath away. Warily, she followed Cross out of the elevator and held on to her as her friend pointed out an airship in the distance.

"What is that?" Maya almost had to yell over the sound of rushing wind.

"The Brotherhood" Cross answered. She proceeded to describe the events that transpired after Maya left the Pride, the passing of Owyn Lyons and his daughter, Sarah, shortly after. Although it was written in the Brotherhood archives that she had fallen in battle, the truth about why or how she had died was never revealed. After losing both Owyn and Sarah, and with no leader able to lead the Brotherhood effectively, the Pride crumbled. Though Cross was more than a suitable candidate to be promoted to Elder, she didn't get her chance until 2282 after being the only senior officer to survive the waves of supermutant attacks. Less than a year later, she was practically ousted from her position as Elder of the Brotherhood when Arthur Maxson killed the leader of the supermutants, Sheppard, and an ideology of human exclusivity began to spread almost immediately. Arthur Maxson became Elder and Cross was kicked out of the Brotherhood a few years later. "Not only that, but Maxson has absorbed the Outcast group back into the fold. He has twisted and corrupted the Brotherhood that Owyn and Sarah built, and poisoned the minds of our fellow brothers and sisters. A few years later, I was kicked out".

"What?" Maya asked incredulously, "Why? They can't do that!"

"They did it anyway. As a cyborg, I wasn't pure enough to be part of their Brotherhood. So, they kicked me to the curb, and set out to the Commonwealth. But Maxson's tactics aren't working and unless we do something, there will be a war between them and the Commonwealth".

A silence spread between them; Maya couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that was expected of her, an invitation of sorts, to take action and do something about the situation.

"Forgive me, this is a lot to take in. And I still don't know what I'm doing here, or why you're helping these people who kidnapped me", said Maya, wrapping her coat tightly around her shivering body.

"I am helping them because I owe them" Cross added, "Our hosts saved my life. For months I kept an eye on the Brotherhood and followed them when they set out for the Commonwealth. Shortly after arriving here, I had a violent encounter with a group called the Gunners. I was injured and some of my implants were badly damaged. Liam saved me, treated my wounds and replaced the damaged components. But more than anything, we share a common goal: we want to restore the Brotherhood to what it was before Maxson took over. We need your help Maya. You're the last Lyons, you should be leading the Brotherhood, not Maxson".

Maya's eyes widened in shock; the very thought of leading a militaristic group, much less planning its coup, was almost terrifying to picture. She could feel the colour drain from her face.

"Th-that's… what you're asking, Cross…"

"I know", Cross nodded, "And I don't ask it lightly".

"But, why me?" Maya protested, "You have more experience, you have military and tactical knowledge, it should be you".

"I had my chance. Besides, my kind of experience didn't help me to earn the loyalty of our people. No, the only way to restore the Brotherhood to its previous glory and restore its reputation is to have a Lyons lead the way. I have a feeling that once you take some time to calm down and hear the full story, you'll understand why this is so important and required the measures we've taken to get you here".

The wind picked up strength, whipping their long trench coats around their legs and threatening to push them off the building. "I think it's time you had a proper introduction with our host, and that he gets a chance to explain his motives".


	11. Aftershock

For the most uncomfortably long while, McNamara drifted in and out of consciousness. The brief glimpses of bright light he caught when his eyes peered open hurt him, like needles drilling into his skull forcing him to drift back into the darkness. Time and reality were strange concepts in his drugged and blood deprived state that part of him wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and not think or worry about waking up again; but that was a luxury he couldn't afford. He forced himself to wake out of a dreamless state, pushing past invisible restraints until he started to feel a throbbing pain.

"Urngh" he groaned as his eyes strained open. He tried to move but the best he could do was feel around with his fingers. Luckily there was no bright light to sting his eyes this time, instead the air around him seemed to be enveloped in a serene light orange hue coming from several nearby windows.

 _'A sunset, maybe?'_ he thought, trying to grasp reality again. Grabbing a handful of soft material, he forced himself to move up a bit until his efforts were thwarted when his head connected with the cold, rigid headboard. He forced his eyes open now, blinking away the crust that had formed around them, to look around and get his bearings. He was in a medical ward, with several other injured individuals scattered around. They were wearing NCR uniforms. Suddenly, everything came flooding back. The power cut, flashing emergency lights, yelling, a rumbling sound in the distance…

He had to save them. Had to get them out!

"Help!" he croaked, feeling his heart race as adrenaline coursed through his body. His throat was so parched that his voice didn't carry far. He called out again until a doctor walking past the hallway took notice and rushed to him.

"Sir, you're alright, you're at the McCarran Airbase infirmary".

"Where are they?!" McNamara groaned urgently, trying to force himself to a sitting position.

"Please! Do not move or you will injure yourself further!" the doctor pressed.

McNamara wasn't in a listening mood. He pushed the doctor to the floor and flung the covers off, pulling himself to the edge of the bed in a semi delusional state. Throwing caution to the wind, he tried to stand up and walk, but as soon as he did so his body hit the cold tiled floor.

" _Mother fucker_ " he growled as he felt something rip and pain shoot through his raw nerves with a vengeance. He cursed his body for failing him; it wasn't until he looked down that he realised in horror why it did.

"I need some help here!" the doctor yelled for reinforcements, and suddenly the room was buzzing with action. Several alarmed nurses and another doctor ran in, gently pulling the shocked McNamara back up onto the bed and the unfortunate doctor on his feet again.

"Hey! What's going on?!" a familiar voice called behind them. It was Ramos.

"It seems our patient tried to get up again" the second doctor responded, fussing over McNamara's ripped stitches, "This time he succeeded".

"What happened?" McNamara asked, a dazed look on his face, "The others?"

"Most of us made it out. We lost over a dozen good men and women, but if it wasn't for you, Knight Barlow and Paladin Fulton, we would have suffered heavier casualties". The Security Chief's eyes fell on McNamara's leg for a brief second, making him hesitate, "We almost lost you too, Sir".

The room fell quiet at the mention of Brotherhood ranks, with some of the injured soldiers sharing intrigued and questioning looks. Ramos waited in silence as the medical staff finished patching his Elder up before moving to sit on the chair next to McNamara.

"I'm not sure that was wise" he said in a hushed voice, giving his Security Chief an urgent glance.

"Doesn't matter", Ramos shook his head, "We're not enemies anymore. We're welcomed guests. General Hsu saw to that".

McNamara looked up at him questioningly, "What do you mean?"

"Hsu has openly welcomed us into the NCR", Ramos replied, "He has declared that any bad blood our two factions had in the past be absolved. Despite our conflict with them in the past, and the losses we suffered thereof, it would be hard to argue Hsu's decision in the current state we are in".

The fighter in McNamara had a few words to share about that, but the diplomat in him won over. He nodded, swallowing his bitterness, and some pride. The irony of their situation was not lost on him. It was less than a week ago that McNamara was going over Hsu's merger proposal with an air of scepticism and superiority. How the tables have turned.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"5 days", Ramos poured a glass of water for his Elder and helped him take a drink, "The first three were touch and go; you lost a lot of blood and doctors weren't sure you were going to pull through".

Taking a sip of cool clean water made him feel somewhat alive again, "Where are the others?"

"They're close by. Hsu managed to allocate some temporary housing for our people", Ramos answered, "It's a bit cramped, but it will do until we figure out what's going on at Hidden Valley. Ibsen was able to gather some information from the main computer before we evacuated and is examining it right now".

"Good", McNamara nodded, reclining back onto the bed with a pained grimace, "That's our top priority. We need to figure out what went wrong. Maybe contact Daniel, see if he would be gracious enough to offer us his expertise".

"He's already on it", Ramos nodded, "I contacted him the second we evacuated. His Vertibird picked you up and got you to McCarran".

McNamara appeared stunned for a moment, "I don't remember any of that". He tried to recall his last memory before blacking out, but everything seemed blurry and jumbled.

"You were barely hanging on to life when they brought you in. Not surprising that you don't remember", Ramos stood back up wearily, "I should let you get some rest".

McNamara seemed dismayed by his Security officer's decision but bowed his head in agreement. "Any chance Maya's around? Haven't seen her in a while and… well… to be honest, now that I'm awake I wouldn't mind the company".

Ramos pursed his lips as if deciding whether or not to burden his Elder with more bad news. But, if the news didn't come from him, McNamara would find out through other means. Eventually.

"I'm afraid Maya's not… here" he began, his gaze shifting as he tried to find the best way to word the news without adding more stress, "There was an incident at McCarran the same day you were brought in"

"Is she alright?" McNamara asked, trying to sit up again, "What happened?"

"There were no casualties, but Maya has gone missing", Ramos answered, "There's no need to worry, Daniel and Craig have taken a search team to find her".

"So… This happened five days ago?" McNamara's voice almost broke with concern.

"Yes", Ramos exhaled wearily, "Look, I know what Maya means to you. My advice is not to give it any more thought", he rested a reassuring hand on his Elder's shoulder, "We've been through worse situations, they will find her. But one thing at a time. Right now, _you_ must focus on healing and getting back on your feet; everything else will fall in line after that".

Taking a deep breath to steady a shiver travelling up his spine, McNamara shifted back down to a more comfortable position. It was hard to think about what was going on and not being physically able to do anything about it.

"If the doctors give the okay and you're feeling up for it tomorrow, we can have a talk with Hsu. Get you back up to speed?"

McNamara grinned and nodded, giving Ramos an assuring tap on the arm.

* * *

Six sat in the First NCR Recon tent, taking small sips of hot black coffee with Betsy. They sat together, neither one of them speaking more than a few words. After the attack on the base, she and the rest of the Brotherhood, along with the dark and handsome stranger, made their way to McCarran. Those who were not injured and could walk made the trip on foot, the rest were picked up by several Vertibirds that were called in by a mysterious ally. Although the emergency response team that was called in arrived in Vertibirds, the people themselves did not look like Brotherhood or wear the typical Brotherhood uniforms. She wondered what kind of faction had the resources, let alone knew of McNamara and his Brotherhood in Hidden Valley, to arrive so quickly at such short notice.

Betsy shifted in her seat, crossing her legs as she carried on reading a copy of Grognak the Barbarian with a disgusted smirk on her face.

"Pah! … Pathetic", she commented under her breath.

"Another damsel in distress?" Six asked, cupping her hot drink in her hands and savouring the slight pain she experienced as her skin connected with the hot metal cup followed by a slow relief as her body adjusted to the stimulus.

"For once I'd like to read one of these where the woman doesn't need saving", Betsy finished the comic book and chucked it to the couch on her left, "It gets old very quickly. And it's not like women can't sort their own problems out without a man butting in to save the day".

Six smiled in acknowledgement. She and Betsy were hard evidence of that.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Six asked absentmindedly.

"Nothing much to do other than sort through the rubble" Betsy answered, "I still can't imagine how a bomb got past us. Hsu almost had a fit when we said we didn't find any evidence of who did it. Though, I have to say that we were lucky".

"How so?" Six asked somewhat bemused. A destroyed aircraft hangar was hardly a definition of "lucky".

"No one got killed", Betsy chuckled drily, "A bomb of that magnitude and no one, not one casualty. Sure, we had injuries, but no one died. Whoever did it is a pretty lousy terrorist. And if I ever find them, they'll _wish_ they had shoved that bomb up their ass".

 _'Or it was their plan all along'_ Six thought, playing with the idea in her head. Although the aircraft weren't in use, most of them were restored to working condition before the bomb went off. Granted no test flights were done to make sure that they were still airworthy, but this was a definite blow to the NCR. Flight would have given the Republic a much larger range of influence; now that option was taken away from them.

"Maybe that was their intention", Six voiced her thoughts, "They didn't kill anyone, but they crippled any chance of the NCR having an air force".

Betsy looked at Six in an expression of impression and doubt, "Yeah but it's not like we had a lot of aircraft" she shrugged, taking a swig of her bottle of Sunset Sarsparilla.

"Boone's girl, Maya, disappears that same night too", Six mused, "And the Brotherhood at Hidden Valley suffer a devastating attack, only a few hours apart... There has to be some connection", she finished her coffee and stood up, making a move to leave the tent and left Betsy with a confused and dismayed look on her face.

After everything that had happened, Hsu had to listen to her now. This was it, the chance she'd been waiting for to get back to HELIOS One and activate Archimedes 2!

* * *

"Six, I appreciate the history lesson, but how does this help us?" Hsu gave her an annoyed glance. He'd gone the past couple of days without sleep and wasn't in the mood for a history recap of the HELIOS One power plant.

"General, HELIOS One is more than just a power station. It's a _weapon_ " Six replied, "With the computer systems in the plant, we can shunt power to the Archimedes 2 orbital laser and eliminate any threats we encounter".

"Our scientists have been over there are haven't found anything to suggest the existence of such a weapon" Hsu shook his head and turned his attention back to his communication device. He couldn't believe he delayed his call with the president for this.

"Because they didn't know where to look!" Six was becoming more frustrated, her window of opportunity closing in on her, "General, I'm on your side. All I'm asking is permission to enter the power station and bring the evidence to you".

Hsu stopped and scrutinised the Courier. Although she did seem earnest, past experience of her actions had taught him to be cautious. If there was a weapon in the power plant that his people couldn't find but the Courier did, it would be in their best interest to obtain it as quickly as possible. Then again, if there was nothing, then they didn't lose anything. He made a mental note to speak with McNamara about the subject. A Brotherhood of Steel Elder, especially one who was present in the battle for HELIOS One, would know more about the old-world tech.

"Very well", Hsu relented, "But Gorobets will accompany you. Understood?"

Six nodded enthusiastically, "Perfectly! We'll set out tonight!"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: there's a satellite in orbit with a laser weapon, and it's still operational after all this time?" Gorobets asked, "How did you find this out?"

They had made it to HELIOS One about half an hour ago and were in the belly of the station at the power distribution terminal. Gorobets wasn't sure what they were looking for but he kept a close eye on her.

"Purely by accident", Six confessed, busying herself at the power terminal checking the status of the power outputs to determine how much she could divert to Archimedes, "I was attempting to access one of the terminals controlling the power system when I encountered a security lock. After hacking it I found the information on Archimedes and that it was still fully operational. It's been sitting there for over two hundred years".

Gorobets scrutinised her as she worked, realising why General Hsu was wary of her. She had known about this weapon for a long time yet refused to come forward with it when the NCR was facing off with Caesar's Legion and suffering heavy casualties. He wondered how many lives could have been saved if only she'd shared her information.

"Alright, we're good to go here", Six smiled, picking up her backpack and headed through one of the corridors.

"Now what?" Gorobets asked, following her through.

"Now we need to head over to Old Lady Gibson".

Making the short trek to Gibson's shack was thankfully uneventful. Rounding the corner at the fence, they were greeted by a pack of dogs which all seemed friendly enough, and at the door was an old woman sat on her chair reading an old world technical manual. As soon as she saw them she focused her attention on the Courier and a smile crossed her lips.

"Well hello there! Good to see you again", she chirped, "I'd about thought you skipped town".

Six smiled back at her, "Not yet Mrs. Gibson. You still got my box?"

"Oh yes!" Gibson chuckled, "Help me up and I'll take you to it. My bones are achin' something fierce".

Six shouldered her weight and helped her up onto her feet, "You still not been to see the doctor?"

"Bah!" Gibson waved her question away, "There ain't no cure for old age". She hobbled inside her house followed by Six, Gorobets, and her entire pack, and knelt next to her bed with a pained groan.

"Give us a hand with this", she asked, tapping on the bed. Gorobets and Six moved to the head and the end of the bed, picked it up and moved it out of the way revealing a floor safe. Gibson unlocked the safe and peered in, moving some things out of the way before procuring a worn steel safe box. She handed it to Six who took out a small key from the inside pocket of her armour vest.

"What's in there?" Gorobets inched closer, keeping an eye on the box.

"The targeting device", Six answered, "This is the last piece we need for any of this to work".

With a click, the locking mechanism pulled away and the box opened.

It was empty.

"Where's the device?" Gorobets examined the case in confusion.

Six stared at the box in confusion. There was only one person who had the key to this box and that was her. The only way someone could have opened it was if they were an expert lock picker.

"Gibson, did you happen to open this?" she asked, hoping that this was all a misunderstanding.

"No, I haven't moved it since you gave it to me years ago" Gibson shook her head looking perplexed.

"Did you tell anyone about it?"

A hurt and angry look crossed her eyes, "I know better than to go around telling folk I keep a safe in my home".

Six felt like she was going to be sick. There was nothing she could do now. Taking a moment to compose herself, she spoke with Gorobets and Gibson to figure out where to go from here.

"Did you notice anything unusual at any time?" Gorobets asked, "Any strangers passing through? Have any other denizens complained of missing items?"

Gibson considered the question seriously but shook her head, "This is a popular through pass for traders and travellers. And living next to Novac certainly brings with it its own bag of crazy". She hobbled to a chair and took a seat, her eyes darting to and fro as she tried to recall anything that might help them. "I don't like to think about it but... there may have been an...unwanted visitor, several years ago. I haven't been able to confirm it as nothing was missing or moved".

"What happened?" Six took a seat next to her, listening intently in the hopes of obtaining some answers.

"Basura and Audaz woke me up one night. Something spooked them, and when I woke I could hear shuffling outside, like someone was scouring the area. This happened several nights in a row, lasting until sunrise. At first I thought nothing of it, could have been a gecko picking scraps Then one night I got fed up of listening helplessly behind my locked doors; I took my shotgun and barged outside, threatening whoever it was to leave unless they were lookin' to get killed. Didn't find anything or anyone outside. It was a full moon, so I had a look around in the junk yard in case someone was hiding, but didn't find anyone. I gave up and went back inside, thinking no more of it. It wasn't until morning when I let the dogs out for a roam that I found faded human foot prints around my house", a cold shiver ran up her spine as she made the recollection, "Freaked me out pretty good. Locked myself inside the shack for almost three days straight after that".

Six exhaled defeatedly, looking to Gorobets for advice.

"Was there anything else that you noticed Mrs. Gibson?" Gorobets pressed, "Anything at all? It would greatly help us in tracking down the item".

"No, sorry", Gibson shook her head, "That was the only event that stuck out at me that might be related. I was out for only a couple of minutes, so if whoever it was that stalking my shack somehow managed to get inside, unlock the floor safe, the box and put everything back the way it was, they must have been moving fast".

With nothing left to do, Six and Gorobets left Old Lady Gibson's shack, hanging around close to Novac while they decided what to do next.

"What do you want to do?" Gorobets asked, scanning the area with his eyes.

Six shook her head, pacing back and forth as she tried to come up with a plan, "I can't go back to Hsu empty handed, not after I promised him this weapon".

"Do you want to keep looking?"

"We don't even have a clue where to start", Six stopped pacing and looked up at Gorobets with weary eyes, "It could be anywhere, anyone could have taken it".

Gorobets moved closer to Six, keeping his eyes on her, "Maybe we should move to a different location, we're being watched".

"What?"

Gorobets cocked his head in the direction of Novac, towards the houses. Without moving, Six took a peek in the direction and noticed movement around an old dilapidated shack, catching a glimpse of silver white hair. It was No Bark.

 _'Maybe he saw something?'_ she thought with a spark of hope and began walking towards him, Gorobets following right behind with a hand lightly resting on his combat dagger in case they needed it.

"Hey. No Bark, right?" she asked when she approached, "Remember me?"

"Stay back!" No Bark warned, procuring a shiv from his ragged clothes and pointing it at them, "Or I'll gut you like a mole rat!"

Six held up her arms in surrender, "No need for that, friend. Don't you remember me?"

No Bark eyed her and Gorobets suspiciously, refusing to answer.

"It's me, the Courier. We met a long time ago. You helped me find out what was happening with McBride's brahmin. Led me to the Chupacabras. Remember?" Six looked at him hopefully.

No Bark hesitated, giving her words some thought, "Mmm… hmm… Yes…. Yes, Chupacabras".

Six nodded, "That's right, and I took care of them, remember?"

No Bark nodded hesitantly, lowering his shiv.

"I need your help No Bark. Someone stole something from Old Lady Gibson and we need to find it, did you see anything suspi- "

"Goblins!" No Bark interrupted, "Goblins! In the middle of the night!"

"What do you mean _goblins_?"

"Invisible goblins. They came into my shack! Tried to steal my Nuka Cola bottles!"

Gorobets shook his head, a look of disgust on his face, "We're wasting time here", but Six ignored his comment and allowed No Bark to continue. Although she knew well that No Bark was not quite all there in the head, her gut was telling her to keep talking to him. After all, he did help her with solving the brahmin case for the McBrides, and Carla's kidnappers.

"What happened?"

"I fought 'em off! Almost got one in the belly!" No Bark answered gleefully, "They never bothered me after that again. But one night I caught one sneaking off to the shack down the road. Couldn't see 'em, but followed their foot prints".

"Where did they go?"

No Bark pointed to the East of Repconn, up to one of the overhanging cliffs, "Up. To an invisible cave!"

 _'This is going to be a long night'_ Six thought, dreading the idea of climbing up there in darkness. She thanked No Bark for the information, vague though it was, and started the climb to the top.

"I can't believe you took the word of a mad man", Gorobets complained behind her, "Invisible goblins in their invisible cave. Sounds like the ravings of a lunatic".

Instead of wasting time and energy responding to his quip, Six focused all her energy into climbing. It was already nearing sundown; they didn't have much time before night set in and Six didn't want to be stranded somewhere half way up the cliff, especially knowing the area was a popular breeding ground for night stalkers and sometimes roaming ghouls would stumble down from there. As quickly as she could, with Gorobets keeping up behind her, she traversed the rough and steep terrain. Just as the edge of the sun touched the horizon, they both made it to the top dripping in sweat and panting from their exertion. They found what looked like to be a very well concealed mouth of a cave. It was a small and tight squeeze, with barely enough room to breathe.

"Is this a bad time to confess I'm terrified of tight spaces?" Gorobets asked, his voice strained.

"I thought the red berets aren't afraid of anything", Six grunted, pulling herself out into an opening inside.

Gorobets chuckled nervously as Six grabbed his arm and pulled him out, "That's mostly true… except for tight spaces". With a final push and the sound of ripping fabric, he made it out.

"Damn it!" he spat, patting his backside.

"What?"

"I ripped my pants!" he answered angrily, twisting round to examine the damage.

"Let me see", Six insisted, turning him around. With only the light from the glowing fungus around them, it was too dark to see anything, so using her finger tips she tried to feel for the damage.

"Leave it alone", Gorobets protested, "Let's just find whatever it is we're here for and go!"

Relenting to his wishes, Six took the lead, crouching down to keep her head safe from the low ceiling. About fifty feet ahead they came to a large opening, the heart of the cave. They were surrounded by glowing fungus, which illuminated the space in a sickly green colour. At the furthest part of the cave lay the remains of a human, picked clean by whatever animals and creepy crawlies found their way inside, with what looked like a chewed up stealth boy next to them and…

"There it is", Six pointed to the Euclid C-finder.

Gorobets breathed a sigh of relief and moved to go get the item, when a shimmering veil caught Six's eye.

"Stop!" she hissed, making Gorobets bump into her.

"What?!"

There was a faint hissing and rattling sound, as a shimmering veil approached them.

"Night stalker!" Six mouthed, their eyes connecting. Even in the dim light she could see the colour drain from his face.

Knowing more about handling Wasteland creatures, Six insisted on being the one to grab the item while Gorobets provided support from the entrance, aiming his sights at the shimmering light ready to make the kill in case it made any aggressive movements. Taking a non-aggressive stance in a kneeling position and averting her eyes from the shimmer, she started making high pitched whimpering noises in an attempt to mimic the noises she once heard night stalker pups make. It seemed to be working. Though she couldn't see the animal, the noises it was making were less aggressive. It was hovering close by, a couple of feet to her left. One wrong move and she would join the other unfortunate occupant. Taking her time, she inched her way to the device, grabbed it and slowly secured it in her shoulder bag.

" _Six_ ", she heard Gorobets whisper behind her. When she turned, the shimmer was right on top of her. Her skin crawled as she felt a leathery, wet nose on her neck and felt puffs of air being expelled as the creature sniffed her. She dared not move; instead she allowed the creature to examine her for what felt like hours. Gorobets was still at the edge of the entrance, his rifle out and aimed slightly to Six's right side away from her head. Their eyes locked and although she was terrified, Gorobets' reassuring gaze helped to steady her. If she was taken down, he'd make sure the night stalker paid the same price with its life.

With a final deep inhale and several puffs of air as it exhaled, the night stalker turned around and lay down in its makeshift nest a couple of feet away from Six's legs. Taking a silent gasp of air, Six slowly crawled towards Gorobets and they quickly found their way back outside.

"That… that was close", Gorobets panted when they stepped outside the mouth of the cave. Six was shivering with fright, amazed that she had survived an encounter with a night stalker.

"That was probably a juvenile", she gulped, "We better scat before mom comes back". The sniper nodded and took the lead, carefully navigating their descent to level ground again. It wasn't until they were away from danger and perilous heights that Six noticed Gorobets' buttocks were visible. She burst out in a fit of laughter watching him walk in front of her. Her reaction made the sniper turn around in surprise, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"What?" he cocked his head to the side, "What's so funny?"

"You… Your", Six gasped, trying to catch her breath, "Your _ass_ is hanging out!" she whooped.

Gorobets turned a vivid shade of red, glancing over his back and patting his combat trousers. When he found that the rip spanned across his entire buttocks, revealing a 'full moon', he couldn't help laughing either.

"I guess this was a bad day to go commando", he chuckled, sending Six over the edge. She collapsed on the floor clutching her sides, tears streaming down her face. Finally, the tension and anxiety that wound them up tight since they left McCarran was released.

After a hearty laugh, Gorobets helped Six back up on her feet.

"I haven't had a laugh like that in years", he chuckled.

"Neither have I" Six wiped tears out of her eyes, "Oh, I laughed so hard I cried".

"I'm glad I could amuse you", he smiled, "So, shall we head back to McCarran?"

Six nodded in agreement, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I'm right behind you".

* * *

Of all the things that could have happened in his journey to the Mojave to meet with the Elder of Hidden Valley, this was by far the worst. Death? This topped death, though it would have been a close second. Not only was Danse stranded in the Mojave, he had witnessed the unthinkable: the NCR and Brotherhood brokering a peace treaty… And he was stuck here, with them. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts of the situation that he didn't notice one of the Scribes standing in front of him, head cocked to one side and an expression of pure boredom on his face.

"What?" Danse asked.

"Wondering when you're going to stop sulking", Ibsen replied.

Danse glared at him, "What I do, or don't do, is none of your concern".

The scribe shrugged and sat down next to him.

 _'Great, just what I needed'_ , Danse thought, exasperated by the Scribe's determination to pester him.

"I know you're not from around here and this is probably a long shot, but I'm all out of ideas. I need a fresh pair of eyes. Have you ever seen something like this", the scribe loaded up a holotape with what looked like random bits of code and showed it to Danse.

"No", Danse answered automatically, wanting nothing more than for the scribe to go away, but as the Scribe sighed in frustration and got up to leave, Danse saw something on the screen that caught his eye.

"Wait!" he reached up at the PipBoy, pulling it back down to his eye level and focused intently on the familiar line of code that he and Nora had come across a couple of years ago when they were working to bring down the Institute, "This command is familiar. It was used by an insidious organisation in Boston that called themselves the Institute".

The scribe's expression turned to confusion, "The… Institute?"

"We need to take this to your Elder right away!" Danse stood up and made a bee line out of the cramped accommodations with the Scribe's PipBoy in hand and Ibsen following right behind.

For days he'd tried to reason with them, almost to the point of begging to take his vertibird and fly back to the Commonwealth to his own people, only to be denied, detained, and treated with even more suspicion. With this new evidence, they had to let him go. He was the only one with the knowledge and ability to help with whatever project this scribe was working on. They'd have to listen to him now.

* * *

 _"Manny… Manny! Wake up!"_ a woman's voice spoke urgently, _"Come on God damn it!"_

Manny tried to open his eyes. Somehow this one simple task seemed more difficult than it should be, but slowly his eyelids parted a few millimetres and his vision strained into focus. Although his vision was hazy, he could see a silhouette of a woman hovering over him and behind her a dark sky.

"Hey! Hey, stay with me, you hear?" she said, though it sounded more like an order. How did she know his name? Was she a field medic, an NCR soldier, or someone he had been familiar with before he was abducted? He tried to answer "Yes ma'am" but what came out was an unintelligible murmur. He felt something pierce the skin on his arm with a sharp sting, but didn't resist. There was something about her voice that sounded familiar. What happened next all seemed like a dream. He felt himself being lifted and propped on top of something. Whatever it was, it was alive, and it stank to high heavens. Drifting in and out of consciousness he could see only the dark sky, the light of the stars flickering down at him. He had been clinging on to dear life for so long, suffered physical and emotional trauma and torture, that now that he was saved by this woman he felt elated. His purpose was clear: he was going to get through this. He was going to get back on his feet and, when he did, he would find the son of a bitch that did this to him.


	12. Reparations

Shielding herself from torrential rain by squeezing into a nook in an alley way just a block away from the Harbormaster Hotel, Nora waited patiently for her encounter with Chase. It was well past sun down and dark ominous clouds above blocked any light from the sky from coming through; ideal conditions for her meeting. Magnolia had come through for her, giving her all the information she demanded on some of the names of the members of the resistance cells, their locations and preferred routes. She had even somehow managed to convince Chase to come out of the shadows for her, though Nora knew in her gut that after she made the threat of exposing Mags that she would never see her again. Some things could not be forgiven.

"Hello Nora", a woman's voice in the shadows made her jump. It was Chase. Somehow she had snuck up right in front of her, though credit where credit is due Chase used to be a Courser for the Institute, and stealth was her specialty. "I understand you wanted to have a meeting with me. Talk".

"I found some troubling information. Regarding DiMA's plans for the Commonwealth", Nora began, watching Chase for any reactions.

"Is this what you've called me here for? Rumours?"

"They're not rumours", Nora accessed a record on her PipBoy and turned it to Chase, "I imagine this looks familiar".

If Chase was surprised, she didn't show it. "A remnant code from the Institute. Probably from some scattered survivors. Nothing to do with us".

"If I'd never been to Acadia, that's what I would have thought initially. No, this code has DiMA's signature all over it, and it was transmitted to the resistance cells".

Chase stared blankly at Nora, unwilling to give any information up.

"What does DiMA want with the Commonwealth Chase? What are you doing?"

"I refuse to be interrogated by you", Chase answered flatly, turning on her heel to leave.

"Innocent people are dying!" Nora answered angrily, following the Courser out into the open, "Do you know what this looks like?!"

"Enlighten me", Chase answered in an almost bored tone.

"It looks like DiMA is manipulating people and pitting them against each other. It looks like he's trying to destroy the Brotherhood".

"So, what?" Chase spat, "They deserve whatever they get".

"Why?!"

Chase turned around, loathing in her eyes, "Why?... How can you even ask that? You've said it yourself when you came to us, that the Brotherhood are hell bent on imposing their order onto others and killing anyone that doesn't fit neatly into their ideal view of the world".

"This is not the solution! Killing them will only bring on more bloodshed! God knows we've all had enough of it. Please Chase, this has to stop!" Nora pleaded

Chase exhaled in frustration, "Nora, listen. We have nothing against you. At our time of need you went above and beyond to help us at Far Harbour. I know you don't approve of DiMA's actions, but you need to drop this. Maxson has taken over the Commonwealth, and it's only a matter of time before he finds us. We've been fortunate so far with them being obsessed with finding and destroying the Institute, but now that the bogeyman is dealt with who do you think they'll be after next?"

"They don't even know you exist!" Nora answered exasperatedly.

"I'm not so sure", Chase shook her head, weighing her next words carefully, "Six months ago we found out a Brotherhood scouting party had made contact with the settlers at the harbour. They were interested in establishing a supply route. At first, we thought nothing much of it; if we didn't reveal ourselves to them, they would never have known that we existed. But one day we found them at our doorstep in Acadia; one of the disgruntled settlers let slip that there is a synth outpost at the top of the island".

"What did you do?"

"We… Took care of them", Chase answered uncomfortably, "We couldn't risk them going back to the Brotherhood with news. But we also can't be certain if they managed to send a message out to their superiors".

Nora's eyes widened in surprise. After an abrupt encounter with the Brotherhood at Acadia, no wonder DiMA was worried. But this was still not the answer to their problem.

"I understand now why you decided to take matters into your own hands; but as someone who knows the Brotherhood _and_ the Commonwealth better than anyone, I can assure you that this will not stop them. If they haven't already, they will call for reinforcements from the Council, and when that happens there will be no victory for anyone", Nora answered calmly. Her words seemed to be having an effect on Chase.

"Look Nora, I know you mean well, and I do hear you on this. But there's no going back now".

"That's not true!" Nora answered boldly, "No matter how dire the situation, we can always change the course for the better".

Chase shook her head, "I'm afraid the wheels have been set into motion, and this juggernaut is fuelled with a lot of bitterness and anger from the Commonwealth people".

"I think I know of a way to fix this. Just give us a chance! Take what I've said to DiMA, ask him to reconsider. There is still time!"

Chase's eyes were wary and uncertain, but after a thoughtful moment she bowed her head in agreement. "Very well. I will return to Acadia tonight and inform DiMA of what we've spoken. But Nora, if this doesn't work – "

"It will!" Nora nodded, "I promise you".

Without another word, Chase turned and left Nora alone in the alley, disappearing into the cold evening mist that was rising from the ground. Now that she had her answers, Nora needed to make her way back to the Prydwen fast. She needed to relay the information to the Brotherhood without revealing what was really happening behind closed curtains; if they knew, there would be no opportunity to turn things around. Maxson needed to face the harsh reality that was threatening to destroy him and make amends with the people of the Commonwealth; or face its wrath.

* * *

Days of searching had driven Daniel and Boone all the way to the Commonwealth. Whoever had kidnapped Maya was an expert at hiding their tracks and evasion. Several times they stopped at a location where they thought they had them, only to be fooled by a decoy signal or a trap. Though frustrating, Daniel was able to compensate for decoys and prevent any further setbacks. With very little fuel left, they had to make an emergency landing behind some cover provided by overgrown brush and destroyed trees, close to Lake Cochituate. It appeared to be an ideal location to hide their craft, free of inhabitants and over a dozen feral ghouls roaming the perimeter that would keep any interested parties at bay. Boone disembarked the craft with his search team as the craft's engines whined to a stop, feeling the heat radiating off of the engines on his skin. It was a cold and foggy early morning, about an hour to go before sunrise. Boone shivered, his teeth chattering in his mouth from the cold. He wasn't used to such low temperatures and wrapped his thin NCR scarf tighter around his neck, covering his mouth and nose to keep as much warmth in as possible.

"Urngh… I can hardly feel my legs", one of the soldiers behind him complained, stretching as he disembarked.

"Forget your legs, I need to take a piss", the second soldier complained, running behind some trees about fifteen feet away.

They all took some time to get their land legs back and sort through the equipment they would need for their mission. Daniel was checking his readings on his PipBoy some feet ahead of their craft, checking the direction of the signal. Boone approached him slowly, a question he was itching to ask him.

"Oh, hey", Daniel said as he heard the sniper moved to stand next to him, "Must be glad we're on solid ground again".

Boone nodded, silently scanning the surroundings. Just from their current standing, he could see at least half a dozen ambush positions. The sound of their craft would have undoubtedly attracted the attention of any plucky raiders hiding within half a mile. They needed to move, quickly.

"How are the others? Are they ready to head out?"

"Almost", Boone answered, "Two will stay behind with the pilot. This area isn't secure".

"Very well", Daniel agreed, "We will set out as soon as you are ready".

Boone shifted on his feet, an almost uncomfortable look on his weathered features. Daniel could tell something was bothering him.

"Unless there's something else you wanted to address?"

"Just before we left McCarran, you injected me with something", Boone started.

"Oh, right… That", Daniel answered awkwardly, "I apologise for my brash actions. I just wanted you to calm down enough to liste-"

"Do you have any more?" Boone interrupted, an eagerness in his voice.

The question took Daniel by surprise. "Erm, yes… Why?"

"I need another dose", Boone admitted somewhat uncomfortably. Although his features were almost completely covered up by the scarf, Daniel could tell from the sound of his voice and his furrowed brow that Boone was feeling on edge again.

"If you think it's necessary", Daniel procured a small vial with a micro syringe from his inside pocket, "But wouldn't you want to remain sharp and have your own senses about you?"

Boone fell silent for a moment, considering his decision, "Given the circumstances… No. I must remain in control".

Daniel sighed internally; he knew Boone's emotions got the better of him back at McCarran, and he didn't blame him. His love for Maya was undeniable. He would do anything to get her back, no doubt about that, and although this drug could help him in the short term with regulating his emotions, helping to channel them constructively, it wasn't meant to be used as a permanent solution. Sooner or later Boone would have to realise this.

"Very well", Daniel relented. Pulling up Boone's sleeve he administered a small dose of the drug, "This will last for another 24 hours".

"I will need more", Boone answered calmly.

"Craig, this drug is only a stop gap, it's not meant to be taken frequently", Daniel warned him, pulling the needle back out.

"I understand", Boone checked behind him to ensure no one saw what had happened, "But if we are to find Maya, I need to be in control", he rubbed the area where the needle stung him.

"I'm not sure Maya would approve of this, Boone", Daniel warned.

"When we find her, you can ask her yourself. Until then, I need this", he shouldered his duffle bag to a more comfortable position and began walking ahead of the group to scout the area, leaving Daniel uncomfortable with the realisation of what he'd just done.

"Good going Daniel, you've created an addict", he murmured under his breath, pulling his jacket tighter around him to ward off the freezing temperatures. He waited for the other three soldiers to catch up to him before following Boone away from their landing zone, while the remaining two soldiers stayed with the pilot to keep him and the aircraft safe. If things went well and according to plan, they would be back home in no time. Experience, however, has taught Daniel that nothing ever goes according to plan.

* * *

Arthur slowly paced back and forth at the observation deck of the Prydwen, occasionally checking the time on his silver pocket watch in anticipation. He had got word back from the Paladin escorting Nora in the Commonwealth about their return and was eagerly awaiting to hear her findings. That was over five hours ago.

 _'What's taking her so long?'_ he thought. He never liked to be kept waiting, but this was fiercely eating at him.

Suddenly he heard the door open and Nora walked in briskly with the Paladin right behind her.

"Finally! What have you found?" he stepped forward, his tall and muscular stature in stark contrast to Nora's beautifully feminine, curvy form.

"Arthur, we need to talk. In private, please", Nora glanced at the Paladin behind her as though he were an inconvenience.

"Elder, I would strongly dispute that" the Paladin protested, giving Nora an irritated glare.

Maxson held up a hand and nodded, "It's alright. Give us the room".

The Paladin's mouth opened as if to say something in protest but shut just as quickly and he left the room with a sour expression on his features.

As soon as they were alone, Arthur turned to Nora and gave her a reassuring smile, "Go ahead".

"If you were hoping for some good news, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you", Nora went over to one of the end tables and poured herself a two-finger shot of whiskey, downing it quickly before Arthur even had a chance to make a comment.

"That bad huh?" his eyebrows raised slightly, a tired look in his eyes.

Her face screwed up as the alcohol burned its way down to her stomach. She never liked alcohol but what she had to say to Arthur required a bit of liquid courage.

"What I'm about to say is not going to be pleasant".

"Can't be worse than Quinlan's news, but go ahead", Arthur took a seat on one of the stools, preparing himself for another wave of stress.

"Why? What's happened?" Nora looked alarmed.

Arthur took a breath in and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "We've got another day's worth of coolant left before we have to land the Prydwen".

 _'Shit!'_ she thought, pouring herself another glass of amber liquid and downing it.

"It doesn't matter, we're going to get through it", Arthur tried to reassure her, "We'll find another supply cache and get back in the air again".

"Uh huh", Nora nodded with a glazed look in her eyes. The alcohol was kicking in and she just wanted to rip this band aid as quickly as possible. "So, here's the thing…" she started, "I've collected the information on the resistance cells that you requested, including strongholds, supply caches, and tactics."

"That's good", Arthur said optimistically.

"But you can't attack them".

"What?"

"You can't!" Nora's voice rose, "I mean it Arthur! I can see those cogs turning, moves and counter moves being played out in your head. If you don't want a bigger shit storm, you'll _listen_ to what I have to say!"

Arthur couldn't hide his surprise. This was the first time she had spoken with him so directly. He sat in silence watching her, waiting for what came next.

Nora began to pace, the same path he'd made just before she arrived. "If only you'd listened to me, none of this would be happening now".

An old guilt reopened in Arthur; he knew she was referring to the Institute and how he'd handled things after its destruction. He wanted to tell her that she was right, that at the time he was filled with an insatiable thirst for validation, to prove himself worthy of the title of Elder and that it blinded him to her counsel. And now he and many innocent people had to face the consequences of those actions.

"I know… I should have listened", he stood up slowly, grabbing himself a drink from one of the bottles.

"You need to regain the trust of the Commonwealth people", Nora nodded, making a strategy in her mind, "Make amends and heal old wounds".

"How?" Arthur walked up next to her and rested his elbows on the railing overlooking Boston Airport, taking a drink of his full glass of whiskey.

"By being the good guys", Nora looked at him with concern, "Going out there to help the people. And I mean all the people. Not _just_ the ones with perfectly smooth skin".

Arthur's face screwed up in disgust, "You _can't_ be serious?!"

"Do you have any idea how many sentient ghouls and supermutants are out there?"

"They are _NOT_ people Nora!"

"A LOT!" Nora answered back, "They make a good chunk of the Commonwealth population. If you're here to help the Commonwealth, and you really do care about the people as you told me the day we met, then you will back off and allow them to live peacefully with the rest of us".

Holding back his disgust at what she was advising, Arthur's face turned a deep shade of red. He took a deep breath and held it in, attempting to quell a caustic outburst that was just itching to pour out of him.

"Very well", his voice strained with antipathy, "Anything else?"

Nora was deep in thought, trying to come up with a way to drag the Brotherhood out of the muck and make them shine as the exemplar image of humanity.

"How did the other Elder's win the people's favour?" Nora asked curiously, "I mean, this isn't the only Brotherhood to come into contact with a native populace?"

"No, we're not", Arthur finished his drink, "Not many Elders have had pleasant encounters with the locals. Except maybe Elder Lyons. But that came at a great cost".

"Go on", Nora looked up at him, her interest piqued.

"I was only a child back then, and I don't remember much of what happened. I was a lowly Squire who didn't fully understand the intricacies of Brotherhood politics. I do remember Elder Lyons throwing away almost everything that the Brotherhood stood for, pushing us to our breaking point. There were times when my Brothers and Sisters went without the basic necessities because they gave them away for free to anyone they came across that asked for help. It was… unsustainable. A number of Knights and Paladins left, preferring to be Outcasts than associate themselves with Lyons".

"Why?" Nora asked with wide eyes.

"Because he squandered our resources, he allowed outsiders into the fold, gave them technology. Such actions isolated us from the Brotherhood Council, who were displeased with Lyons' frivolous nature; they effectively cut us off from any support".

"Sounds to me like he was a great Elder. Radical, but great", Nora mused, "So this is how Elder Lyons gained the favour of the people?"

Arthur nodded, "That was a small part of it" he went back to the bottle to refill his drink, "But what Elder Lyons and his daughter Sarah did was greater than anything any Elder has ever done, and I think it sealed his status as a saviour in D.C. He defeated the Enclave and gained control of the G.E.C.K, a terraforming device, which enabled him to provide pure, clean water to everyone".

Nora was left speechless. If only this Elder Lyons was here now to fix the mess Arthur had made. Suddenly an idea started formulating in her mind.

"I think I know of a way to fix this"

"What are you thinking?"

"You remember years ago I came into contact with an Institute scientist, Virgil, who was exposed to the FEV virus and turned into a supermutant?"

"Yes…", Arthur answered hesitantly, "I also remember ordering you to put him out of his misery".

Nora smiled, "Luckily for you, I'm not good at following orders. Virgil is the foremost expert on the FEV and its effects. Before he left the Institute, he developed a cure which I had to steal from the Institute and deliver to him. I'm certain that by now he has developed a more permanent fix to the mutation".

"Where's this going?"

"You, Arthur Maxson, will distribute the FEV cure. Free of charge. What better way to establish yourself as an open minded and compassionate Elder?"

Arthur was at a loss for words. It was a brilliant idea, but the mere thought of helping supermutants was enough to make his stomach turn.

"Well?" Nora asked expectantly.

"I don't know about this…"

"What's not to know?!" She pressed, moving closer to him, "Can you think of a better way of gaining the trust and admiration of the people?"

"…No", he admitted, "But my Brothers and Sisters will not be in favour of this decision. We've lost too many good soldiers to those green monstrosities. The very thought of helping them makes my skin crawl with revulsion".

"It doesn't matter, that's in the past. And you are their Elder, they _have_ to listen to you".

"You don't understand!" Arthur insisted, "It doesn't matter that I'm the Elder. Don't you see what happened with Lyons?! He was abandoned by a good number of his people because he didn't lead them the way they _wanted"_.

"And you're afraid the same is going to happen with you", Nora voiced his thoughts. Suddenly things about his leadership and questionable actions were becoming clear. "It's undeniable that there will be opposition to this decision, but what other options are there? The resistance is growing by the hour and it's only going to get worse".

Arthur shook his head, rubbing his aching forehead, "I know…"

He looked so lost and helpless it made Nora want to hug him and slap him to his senses at the same time. She sat next to him and placed a hand over his shoulders reassuringly, "You don't have to decide right now; allow yourself some time to process this. But know that if you do decide to go through with it, I will brave whatever storm comes at us".

Ultimately this was his decision to make, but he already knew that he wanted to follow her plan. Right then Arthur knew that he would never have the same kind of support from anyone else, and he knew she was correct. If the Brotherhood was going to have any chance of getting through these dark times intact, they needed to set aside their differences and do what they originally came here to do: fight for and help the people of the Commonwealth, even if that meant going against the grain and losing the support of the Brotherhood Council.


	13. The Commonwealth

To the East of Oberland Station some 500 meters away sat a fairly inconspicuous bunker under an over cropping, craftily hidden with strategically placed Commonwealth debris and detritus. Travellers and traders passing through never paid it any mind as the area was typically infested with molerats and wild mongrel dogs that had more bite than bark, which made it a perfect location for the Brotherhood of Gold to set up shop underground. After Maxson took charge of the Brotherhood of Steel in the Capitol Wasteland in 2283, a group of the original Lyons Pride voluntarily left Maxson's Brotherhood, choosing exile to preserve their Lyons principles rather than succumb to the new wave of hatred and bigotry towards anyone and anything that wasn't human. After uncovering evidence about an assassination plot on Sarah Lyons, they chose to distance themselves as much as possible from Maxson and migrated to the Commonwealth where they worked hard to build their new base and help the people of the Commonwealth from the shadows. Despite covertly thwarting most of the Brotherhood scouts that came to explore the Commonwealth in an attempt to discourage their arrival; in 2287 Maxson's Brotherhood arrived in Boston on that monstrosity of a blimp they call the Prydwen. This in turn created problems for the Brotherhood of Gold. Where once they could roam the land and roads freely, suddenly they were reduced to limited reconnaissance and scouting missions, only coming out of the bunker for supplies and emergency response missions. And over the past couple of years, they begrudgingly watched as Maxson's lap dogs scoured the settlers for any food and supplies, often resorting to force to meet their quota. Luckily, they had successfully finished construction of their bunker almost a year before the Prydwen arrived, securing enough weapons, ammunition, and other miscellaneous supplies to last them several years if they were sensible. Most recently they managed to get their high-tech security cameras up and running, which allowed them to keep an eye out for curious explorers and pesky raiders and Brotherhood soldiers that were common in the area.

They didn't have a leader, preferring to stick to a more democratic method of decision making where actions regarding any missions, discipline or rulings were put to a vote and the majority prevailed. Though not the way their Elder used to run things, it proved to be effective at keeping everyone happy.

Chuck Finley, the oldest but perhaps not wisest member, hovered over an edition of the Boston Bugle, chuckling as he read a particularly amusing comic segment about the Silver Shroud accidentally getting his foot stuck in a bucket.

"Heh heh, who came up with this crap", he chuckled, turning the next page when movement on the security monitor caught his eye. His demeanour changed quickly from amusement to seriousness.

"Ash… Ash! Get your butt up here!" he hollered at the intercom and in no time his son, Ash Finley, sprinted up the stairs and stood behind his father, watching the figures on the screen move. He was a tall man of 6'3" with somewhat messy mid-length midnight black hair and dark brown eyes. He had particularly weathered facial features despite being only 32 years of age. His nose was somewhat crooked from a break he suffered in a sparring exercise with Sarah Lyons when he was a lowly Knight. With a large chin, strong jaw, several scars on his left cheek, and an intense look in his eyes, he was the go-to man for any reconnaissance and search and collect missions.

"What is it now?" he asked exasperatedly, "You realise you just made me lose my high score streak on Atomic Command?"

Chuck paused, observing the figures on the screen. He zoomed in and tried to focus the image to get a better look. From what he was seeing, there were four NCR troops and a civilian. He had to blink to make sure he wasn't imagining the two headed bear patches on their uniforms.

"Well hot damn!" his eyes widened in excitement, "We got NCR troops in Boston! How about that?!" he smiled at his son and gave him a hearty pat on the back, bordering on painful.

"Oh, great… more factions to fight over the Commonwealth", Ash answered snidely, "Just what we need in today's political scene".

"Aww come now", Chuck grinned broadly, "We have no idea what they're doing here, they could just be passing through".

Ash's shoulders slumped, "I see. And I suppose you want me to go check 'em out", he said, more of a statement than a question.

Chuck nodded, the grin on his face widening until his cheeks turned pink, "That's my boy!"

Grumbling on his way back down to his locker to get the equipment he needed for the mission, he wished he could have stayed in the Bunker playing video games until he passed out from exhaustion. He needed to beat Jesse's high score if he wanted to get bragging rights back about being the best at Atomic Command. And that's exactly what he was going to do… As soon as he finished spying on people.

* * *

A couple of days had passed after his encounter with Maya that Liam felt it was safe to pass her by without suffering more cuts and bruises. He didn't blame her; if he were taken away from his friends and family against his will, he would have reacted the same way. Probably. Being a pacifist, he wished there was an alternative method of getting her to the Commonwealth. Luckily Cross was there to smooth the ruffled feathers he caused, and he made sure to clarify to Maya that she was not a prisoner, that this was the only way he could get an audience with her to ask for her help, but that if she was against it she was free to go. After he explained that he was simply trying to save what was left of his family, Maya made a tentative decision to stay and help him find a solution as well as work with Cross on the matter of the Brotherhood. That wasn't to say that she had forgiven him, or that she wasn't furious with his poor judgement.

Liam's father had died during the Brotherhood's siege on the Institute years ago. He managed a narrow escape the day of the siege with a lot of help from Nora and the Railroad, along with over twenty of the gen 3 synths and Eve. However, before the Institute were destroyed, they managed to install a specific recall in more than half of the synths, including Eve. Though Liam didn't know the specifics of the recall that was implemented, over time he was able to find out that it activated as soon as the synths left the Institute. It was like a slow degradation of their bodies that would reach full effect after 5 years spent on the surface. In about four months it would be 5 years to the day. They were running out of time, and although he couldn't figure out how to undo the recall on the implants, he was close to creating new synth bodies. Gen 4 synths, he called them. His plan was to create new improved synth bodies with regenerating cells, like Maya's, for the ones affected with the recall. Everything was in place, all he needed to do was figure out a way of replicating what had happened to Maya's cells; though he was soon coming to realise that he may have bitten off more than he could chew.

"Damn it…", he muttered under his breath as another batch of cells failed to replicate. He stepped away from his microscope, throwing the petri dish in the hazardous waste bin next to the incinerator. He had spent the better part of the past 36 hours intently focused on this that he had forgotten to eat or sleep. With every iteration he was getting slightly better results, but the fact remained that he was nowhere near the ability to create efficient replicating cells like Maya's. He was missing something, a crucial component that kept eluding him.

'I'm going to have to go and talk to her, again', he thought glumly. The last time they spoke she was very brusque and agitated with him that it was almost like pulling teeth to get the information he needed. With his shoulders slumped, he made his way down to the lower levels of the Greentech Genetics building.

* * *

Another wave of nausea made Maya clutch the side of her bed as she sat hunched over on the mattress in her temporary accommodation in the Greentech Genetics building. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, some of them merging together to slide down her face. She was recovering after spending a good portion of an hour watching the bottom of the rusty bucket, and although her stomach had already evacuated everything that she had eaten that day it still insisted on turning itself inside out. If only she'd gone to the nurse that day in McCarran and taken that pill instead of waiting to see how her talk with Boone came out, she wouldn't be in this vulnerable situation right now. She hated it, hated feeling this pain and nausea crippling her. It made her even more on edge, knowing that she was more vulnerable than ever.

It was gone 5 in the evening and already pitch-black outside, but Maya could see flickering lights in the distance from her window, indicating there were people still out and about. She wondered who they were and what they were doing… she wondered if any of them were the Brotherhood Cross had told her about.

There was no denying that, since she left Owyn Lyons in the Capitol, she had a burning curiosity to find out how the Pride were doing. It was unfortunate that she never got the chance to contact them before Owyn and Sarah passed away, and that was something she knew she was going to regret for the rest of her life. Her mind began to wander in an attempt to save herself from the physical pain and discomfort she was experiencing. The thoughts flicked through her memories like the pages in a book, going back all the way to the day she first arrived in this universe. There were still a lot of unanswered questions she felt she may never get answers to. For instance, the accident that brought her here in the first place and how she was even pulled into the particle collider. None of her research ever indicated the likelihood of that probability ever occurring and no information she gathered since she arrived in this parallel universe offered an inkling of an explanation; yet here she was, living proof that it was entirely possible to cross time and dimensions. Maybe she was never meant to figure this out…

A gentle knock behind her made Maya twitch. Turning around she saw Liam standing in the doorway with an apologetic look about him.

"What do you want?" she asked, frustration conveyed in her tone.

"To see how you are doing", Liam took a cautious step forward, "And to, again, offer my deepest apologies about everything. I know you're angry with me and not -"

"Get to the point", Maya grunted. She could sense there was something there at the tip of his tongue, that he was just trying to be nice and civil to get his answers. The sooner he got his, the sooner she could leave.

Liam looked like he was going to say something then changed his mind. His eyes examined her from head to toe, and the more he looked the more his expression turned to concern, "You don't look well", he commented. He walked into the room and knelt in front of her, gently feeling her brow with the back of his cold hand, but Maya pulled back, swatting him away. "I'm just trying to help", he insisted, "I think you may have a slight fever".

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine. Now, were you going to tell me what you needed or do I have to kick you out?" she stood up and walked to the window to get some air and put some distance between her and Liam before she got an urge to hurt him again. The icy breeze was refreshing and seemed to help with her nausea. She was certain she could smell snow in the air.

"I uh… I need to ask you some questions".

"About?"

"Well…" Liam hesitated, not wanting to sound like he was prying too hard, "My last cell replication tests have failed and… I'm trying to figure out why".

"I don't see where I fit into this. I'm not a biologist".

"No, neither am I, but… When you explained to me how you got here, there was… is there anything, any detail you might have left out?"

Maya pulled up a stool to sit by the window as she contemplated her answer. "I have answered all of your questions. Thoroughly".

"Yes, but my tests on your cells… well, the results don't add up to what you've explained".

"What?" Maya turned to face him, a look of frustrated confusion in her eyes.

"Even when I account for the parameters you've specified; the DNA is still degrading during replication".

"Then you're doing something wrong", Maya answered irritably.

"I don't think that's the case. I think something else is responsible for the way your cells are behaving", Liam insisted. He stood a couple of paces away from Maya, watching her with bated concern. It was clear that she wasn't well, but he wasn't sure how much he could help given her condition, let alone the fact that she wouldn't allow him near her.

"Maybe you've got a contaminant in your culture dishes", she suggested, "Either way, your idea to create new bodies for your friends is a stupid at best".

"What?" the corner of Liam's mouth twitched as if she had just physically slapped him.

"You're ignoring the problem and trying to find a more complicated solution. I know that you're trying to replicate the effects that my transfer to this world had on my own physiology, even though I explicitly told you that I don't even know the full process of what or how it happened", the frustration and anger Maya was feeling towards him was beginning to bubble over, "You've created a mess of a situation".

"That's not true! We are having successfu-"

"You drag me here, to this… crumbling shit hole, and you expect me to help you solve a problem that you haven't been able to figure out in five years?!"

The silence between them grew until it felt like a physical chasm had formed.

"And you have the nerve to manipulate and bring Cross into this as some sort of, what? Incentive?"

"I've explained this to you before Maya, as has Cross. She's not been manipulated".

"Yes, she has!" Maya spat back, "The Cross I knew would never be a party to the kind of stunt you pulled with me. She would have stopped you".

"People change, Maya! Desperate times call for desperate measures!"

Maya laughed in amusement, "Don't talk to me about desperate times. You couldn't even begin to fathom what that looks or feels like".

"I do!" Liam answered angrily, surprising Maya with his sudden outburst, "People are dying, people that I care about and have known all my life! After my home was destroyed in the Institute and my father killed, they were all I had. The Railroad that promised to take us in and offer shelter and protection never cared about us, all they wanted to do was use us! When I found out that they were using my knowledge of the Institute to launch their own attack on my home, I wanted to end it, I was ready to die; but Eve stopped me. We escaped through the tunnels that night, and I made a vow that I would never let anything, or anyone, hurt my family, that I would protect them… but now, Eve, the woman who I've come to think of as my mother... is dying. They're all dying, and I can't save them." Liam's body and voice shook with anger, remorse, and desperation. If he couldn't fix the problem with the synths using biology, then he was out of options and ideas; and there was no time to go back to the drawing board. He stood there, gloom and grief shutting him down.

"I'm sorry", he heard Maya's voice break through his stricken thoughts, summoning him back to the real world.

"No… Don't be", he wiped tears that were streaming down his face, "I need to get back to work. I'm sorry, for everything; all the trouble I've put you through and what I did… I know it wasn't right. You don't deserve this. I'll uh… I'll make sure X6 gets you back home as soon as you're ready".

The sudden change of tune made Maya curious, "Wait… That's it? You brought me here at great cost to help you find a cure for your family and now... you're telling me you've given up?".

"I haven't given up", Liam answered, unable to hide the defeat in his tone, "I will do everything in my abilities to help them…".

Maya shifted in her seat, "Have you considered the possibility that it may be a mechanical problem?" she asked.

"Yes", Liam answered exasperatedly, rubbing his aching head, "I've examined their mechanical components and they're operating normally. I've gone over this, it's not a fault with the mechanics".

"Yet they're still degrading. How is that possible?"

"I don't know!" Liam exclaimed, "I don't know what they did! I've done every kind of scan I can think of and there was nothing out of place. There was nothing, no information about this in my father's notes".

"When we last spoke, you said that you believe this… update, for the lack of a better word, took only a few hours to implement on the synths. So, whatever it was that your father's team did, it was a quick procedure".

"I suppose so. What are you saying?"

A wave of inspiration flowed through her, and for a moment her queasiness abated. "I think I might have an idea, or two", she said, which set a spark of hope in Liam's eyes. They made their way back to the lab Liam was working in to try out Maya's theories. Despite her initial aversion to cooperate, Maya knew that if she just sat back and did nothing that innocent synths died. It would be another regret that she would be unable to stop thinking in a couple of years. Since she was already here, and there wasn't a lot of time left, she figured she may as well make the most of the situation she was in.

* * *

Ash crouched behind some shrubbery about 600 meters away from the new group, keeping a weary eye on their progress through the gaps in the myriad of twigs. He would have moved closer, but the lead soldier, a serious and deadly looking man with a sniper rifle and red beret, almost caught sight of him once. He was lucky there were so many hiding spots and that there were a couple of mole rats scurrying around to draw attention away from himself.

Although he always complained whenever he got recon assignments, there was a part of him that loved it. The sneaking around, hiding, and spying on other people gave him a thrill; and this group was turning out to be very interesting. The soldiers were all following the smartly dressed man who seemed to check something on his left wrist, probably a PipBoy, every so often. They were just passing through Hardware Town and, from what Ash could tell, it appeared that they were making their way to Diamond City. Unfortunately for them, Hardware Town and the edge of Diamond City were riddled with super mutants and raiders. Due to the rising tensions between Maxson's Brotherhood and the citizens, no Brotherhood soldier stepped foot within a two-mile radius of Diamond City, which made it a hot spot for creatures of all kinds.

'Hmm, maybe I could work this to my advantage', Ash thought in advance. His plan was to gain the trust of the newcomers with an old but trusty trick. When the soldiers run into the Super Mutants, who would attack the terrified and unprepared group of newcomers, he would jump into the fray at an opportune time to save their lives. Although risky, the trick never failed him in the past. Besides, he had the cover of the night and the advantage of knowing the terrain, what kind of creatures to expect and how to deal with them. He collected his things and made his way ahead of the group, using the back alleyways for cover. Reaching a dead end, he climbed up some fire escape stairs on the side of a building of a derelict shop. Luckily most of the roads that were separating the buildings were single roads for pedestrians, which he could easily jump over to get to the edge of Diamond City. It was a good thing he made a habit of setting up observation points on the tops of some of the buildings in the Commonwealth when they first arrived here, otherwise he would have been unprepared for what he was about to do. Arriving at his destination, he huddled behind a chimney where he set up a watch post many months ago to keep track of the ins and outs of the city. He could hear the dumb grunts of Super Mutants and their shuffling nearby. He picked a good sniping spot where the Super Mutants wouldn't be able to catch him while also maintaining a good view of the main road, kept his head down, and waited for the NCR group to arrive. Sure enough, not ten minutes after Ash got comfortable, he heard human voices close by; and the Super Mutants were quick to respond to the newcomers invading their territory.

"Humans! Kill the humans!"

Ash kept his head down and prepared himself, doing a 60 second mental countdown before he allowed himself to interfere in order to make the whole charade more plausible.

"Take cover!" one of the soldiers yelled before an explosion went off. Close by an Alpha super mutant hound howled, an all too common war cry in this neck of the neighbourhood.

'50, 49, 48, 47…'

Bullets ricocheted off the adjacent brick walls and ripped through wood, some of them screaming over his head as they flew too close to comfort.

"Kill…. KIILLLLL!"

'40, 39, 38, 37, 36…'

"Ramirez is hit!" a human voice called out.

"AAHAHAHAHA"

Then a beeping noise came into focus over the sound of machine gun fire that made Ash's blood run cold.

"Motherfuckers!" he muttered under his breath as he broke cover and ran towards the beeping sound, jumping over to the next building where the Super Mutants were holed up. And there he was, a Super Mutant suicider running down the alleyway Ash had just jumped over, the mini nuke flashing in his hand. Ash aimed his combat rifle loaded with armor piercing rounds at the creature's head and fired three successive shots; the first damaged its helmet, second bullet created an opening, the third stopped its lumbering advance. The suicider fell forward onto its bloody face, letting the still active mini nuke slowly roll forward toward the soldiers. With an acrobatic forward flip, Ash jumped off the side of the single-story building, rushing towards the mini nuke and swiping it away from the hazardous bullets that were peppering the tired and cracked concrete ground. He hid behind a man-sized concrete boulder and pressed his back to the rough surface, his eyes wide and a crazy grin on his face. If he could lob the nuke in the direction of the mutants and shoot it before it hit the ground, he'd solidify his position as an all round good guy with the NCR soldiers, instantly gain their trust, and get all the information out of them with no effort.

"Give me some cover and move back a block!" he yelled at the bewildered soldiers. They complied with his order, all except one crazy bastard in a red beret and dark aviator sunglasses who kept on sniping at the enemy, taking them down with one shot each right between the eyes. "Hey! That means you too!"

"Throw it!" the soldier yelled calmly at Ash, not taking his eyes off the enemy as he carried on shooting.

"What?!"

"The bomb. Throw it at the mutants".

Ash's face lit up with glee as he realised that they both had the same idea. He tossed the bomb as hard as he could in the direction of the Super Mutants and ducked behind cover next to the crazy bastard in the red beret. Two seconds later it was all over, with a bullet and a small mushroom cloud that obliterated Super Mutants.

"Nice shooting!" Ash exclaimed over the noise as small bits of debris rained down on them, but before he could react the soldier's rifle turned to face him. "Woah woah woah! We're on the same team, man!"

"I don't think so", the soldier's voice was threatening but steady. He swiftly stood up and moved back a couple of paces, putting some distance between them so that Ash couldn't swipe his rifle away.

"Hey, come on now! I helped you take down those muties, didn't I?" Ash pleaded, but the man didn't budge, "Oh come on!"

"Boone? What's going on?" One of his comrades called. It was the man in the business suit, a laser pistol in his hands as he led the other soldiers to them. Ash slowly held up his arms in surrender and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"We're cool, I was just in the neighbourhood and heard there was trouble", Ash tried to explain but his words didn't seem to register with the others.

"Who's this?" the man asked, turning his attention to Boone.

'Okay, there's still time to fix this. I can convince them that I was just an ordinary merc looking for work and heard trouble so I -'

"This is our stalker", Boone answered.

'Shit'

"What?" Ash asked, trying not to sound surprised that they knew he was following them.

"You've been stalking us for couple of miles now", Boone answered, keeping his rifle firmly aimed at his chest.

"You must be mistaken" Ash chuckled nervously, "I was just minding my own business when I heard trouble", but his poor explanation only provoked the soldier further, turning his head into a target. Ash refrained from making another comment.

"Are all citizens of the Commonwealth as helpful as you?" Grey suit asked, smiling down at him.

Ash answered with a shrug, preferring to err on the side of silence while smiling sheepishly, which seemed to amuse Grey suit.

"Maybe you could help us some more?"

"As long as it's within reason".

"A man with some morals at least", Grey suit smiled and offered his hand, "We're actually new to the area. Maybe you could point us in a direction where we can get some medical assistance for our friend here", he hinted to the wounded soldier behind him who had a superficial wound to his calf that had already stopped bleeding.

"Uhh…sure", Ash took the man's hand and was surprised when he gingerly pulled him up on to his feet, "Your best bet is Diamond City. It's less than a mile away from our current position".

"What would be the best way to reach this City?"

Ash nodded to the road to their left, "Just follow this road straight on until you see the Diamond symbol. Can't miss it".

The man smiled and shook his hand, "Great! Thank you for keeping an eye on us so far, and for your assistance here. But I'm afraid this is where we really must part ways. If you do try to follow us again, well…" he looked over at Boone who was still obdurately aiming down his sights at Ash, "I'm afraid we won't offer any warning shots".

Ash nodded and chuckled uncomfortably, "Well I'm just glad I was able to be of some help to you folks".

"Right", Grey suit man grinned knowingly, as if he could see through Ash's bullshit. He gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder and the group carried on their way, taking the road Ash recommended to Diamond City.

Ash stood there at the street corner well after the group had left, feeling like a tart and planning his next movements. Whoever these people were, they weren't the saps he mistook them for. He was going to have to use his best tricks and moves if he wanted to keep his pretty face intact.

'And definitely don't tell dad about this. Ever!' he thought, picturing the awkward conversation he would have if he revealed any of this to his father, let alone the amount of roasting he would get if any one of his friends found out.

* * *

Diamond City was more impressive in name than appearance. The name conjured up images of clean streets, maintained tall buildings and a police enforcement system that would be on par with, if not rival, that of New Vegas. None of them imagined that Diamond City was actually an old-world baseball stadium filled with shacks inside and guarded by a disturbingly lacking number of guards and limited security systems. As they neared the entrance, two guards dressed in sports gear walked up to them with their weapons at the ready. Their attire was somewhat reminiscent of a certain faction in the Mojave that made Boone's trigger finger itch.

"'Ey! Look at yous smahtly dressed gavones. What's yaw business here gentlemen?" one of the guards asked with a heavy accent.

"We're seeking some assistance. I need to speak with the person in charge here. We also have a member of our group who is injured and needs medical attention", Daniel replied. It was so cold and the air so still now that the mist from his breath was hanging in the air.

"Ya huh", the guard looked them over, noticing how well armed they are, "'Ey, yous don' look like yous been hit bad. Sure you not fakin' it son?" he joked, gesturing to Ramirez's bandaged leg.

Daniel smiled and moved a step closer to the first guard, "I can assure you, officer, we will be on our best behaviour. We're new around town and ran into some trouble with Super Mutants not far from here".

"What? Where?!" the guard seemed alarmed.

"About ¾ of a mile down the road", Boone answered.

"Shit", the guard muttered, "A'right, get inside. Check yaw guns with Danny Sullivan at the gate. An' if I catcha word of any funny business, yous gonna bang a Uey back to the muties. Got it?"

Daniel nodded with a smile, "Yes, sir". With that, the two guards moved down the road Daniel and his group just came from, followed by another guard taking up their tail.

"This ought to be interesting", Daniel mumbled under his breath.

Once they checked t

heir weapons with the guard at the gate, they proceeded up the stairs and into the arena. Splitting up into two groups, Daniel went with Boone to see about speaking with the Mayor while the second group went to get Ramirez's leg checked out.

Up at the top of the stands was Mayor McDonough's office. There were three guards outside the Mayor's office and a secretary, an attractive young woman at the front desk who seemed polite enough. They didn't have to wait long to get an audience with the Mayor.

"Well I'll be, we have visitors! And from the New California Republic no less! Welcome to the great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth gentlemen!"

"Thank you, Mayor. We greatly appreciate your audience".

"Of course, of course! We are thrilled to have new visitors. We don't often get travellers from the NCR visiting the Commonwealth".

"Ah, so you've had visitors in the past?" Daniel asked, seamlessly transitioning the conversation forward to obtain as much information as they could get.

"Well, now that you mention it… No, no I don't believe we've ever had people from that far West here".

"Not ever?" Daniel asked curiously, "I'm surprised to hear that. We'll have to remedy that. I'll be sure to spread the word of my wonderful experience here to my colleagues in the West".

"Yes, I'm sure you will", the Mayor smiled, examining both Daniel and Boone somewhat hesitantly, "Now, I hear that you are in need of some assistance".

"That is correct", Daniel nodded, "We are actually looking for a colleague of mine. A woman in her late twenties, about 5'5", 5'6" tall with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes, average build. She goes by the name of Maya".

The Mayor's expression seemed almost comical, as if he were acting, "Hmm… I can't say that I've seen a woman fitting that description around here".

"No?", Daniel asked again.

McDonough's eyes squinted as though trying to recall something, but eventually he shook his head, "I'm afraid not. I'm mostly kept busy in the office with paperwork on trade agreements, taxes, and security planning and budgets so I don't get the chance to make the rounds in town and see people as much as I used to. Perhaps if you have a picture, a recent photograph? I could pass it along to the guards and alert them to your missing colleague".

Daniel procured a picture from his bag of Maya and handed it to the Mayor, "Thank you, Mayor. I won't forget your assistance in this matter".

The Mayor nodded with a veiled smile and excused himself back into his office on account of impending paperwork that needed completing, leaving Daniel and Boone to make their way back down and check up on Ramirez.

"There's something off about him", Boone commented under his breath.

"Indeed", Daniel dipped his head in agreement, "His reactions seemed somewhat… artificial".

"I think he knows about Maya, and he's not hiding it well", Boone commented, feeling an urgency to find her.

"Whatever it is, he's certainly hiding something. But we can't risk our position. His office is undoubtedly guarded around the clock, so we can't go snooping in there after hours. We'll re-group, collect our thoughts and come up with an alternative".

Sure enough, not long after they met up with the rest of the soldiers again, they found out that there was a private detective agency in the city run by a man called Valentine and immediately proceeded to his office. They were in for a surprise when a grey, gnarled up face with missing skin that looked into his mechanical insides greeted them behind a messy desk.

"Woah!" Ramirez exclaimed, knocking back into his friend just behind him. In fact, everyone except for Daniel appeared concerned with this… individual.

"Easy there, son! I don't bite", the mechanical man commented almost in amusement.

"Wh-what are you?" Johnson, one of the soldiers, asked hesitantly.

"The name's Nick Valentine, and I'm a synth. Synthetic man. All the parts, minus a few red blood cells. I got built, I got old, I got tossed. Then I opened up this little agency in Diamond City and turns out people have plenty of problems to solve. Hope that's not going to be a problem."

Valentine's short explanation seemed to silence the room as all eyes were examining him. The detective shifted expectantly behind his desk, not at all fazed by this response, "Is there something I can help you folks with?"

"Yes, at least we hope so. My name is Daniel, the man here next to me is Boone. We're looking for a woman, she's a dear friend of mine and Boone's fiancée. Her name is Maya and she has been missing for over a week now. We are hoping you would be able to help us out?"

"Missing person?" Valentine asked in surprise, "Let's just go over a few details. Where was the last place you last saw Maya?"

"Camp McCarran", Boone answered.

A perplexed look crossed Valentine's rough artificial features, "I'm sorry, Camp McCarran?"

"In the Mojave, just a couple miles out of New Vegas".

The detective looked at his guests in surprise, "And… You've come all the way to the Commonwealth to ask for my help with a missing person in the Mojave?! Well… I didn't know news of my services reached that far".

"Actually, we have reason to believe she was kidnapped and then taken here", Daniel added. He described the circumstances behind their arrival in the Commonwealth, that they were tracking a transport signature that lead them to the last known co-ordinates somewhere in Diamond City.

"Well… That's quite a journey you've all made", Valentine commented after Daniel finished, "Don't be too surprised that our great Mayor doesn't jump at the chance to help in this situation. If fact, I can almost guarantee that he won't so much as lift a pinkie to help. We had many cases of missing people back in the day when the Institute was the bogeyman of the Commonwealth. In fact one case I worked on has many similarities with yours".

"How so?" Boone asked.

"For one, the method of transportation that was used to get her here; it was something I came across many years ago with another client of mine that was hunting down the Institute. The problem is that the Institute was destroyed, and technology regarding their teleportation, which you have said is linked to Maya's disappearance, was lost in that destruction".

"Maybe the Institute wasn't destroyed afterall. Maybe there were survivors that re-built it?" Boone added.

"Hmm… Well, that's a terrifying thought", Valentine answered with a distinct dread in his tone.

"But you'll be able to assist us, correct?" Daniel asked expectantly.

"I'll do my best", Valentine nodded, "Now, let's go over those energy readings you picked up on your PipBoy Daniel. Maybe there is a way we can narrow the location".

* * *

McDonough sat uneasily in his office chair behind his desk, anxiously checking his watch every now and then. It was just gone midnight and all of Diamond City residents were either in the City's bars drinking their lives away or sound asleep in their homes.

'Where is he?' McDonough thought, panic beginning to grip at him. Just as he got up and started pacing in front of his desk to try to calm himself, he heard the guard outside his office talking.

"I'm sorry, the Mayor isn't taking any visitors tonight" McDonough heard the guard speak.

"I have an appointment. I've come from Quincy with new trading arrangements for medical supplies".

"Oh… It's you. Alright, go ahead" the guard answered, opening the door for the man. His visitor was dressed in a surveyor's outfit with a washed-out crimson scarf snugly wrapped around his neck, but what set him out from everyone else was his incredibly cool voice and perfect dark skin. McDonough waited for the guard to close the door behind him before speaking.

"What the hell took you so long?!" he hissed under his breath, "Didn't you get my message?!"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be here", X6 answered without any emotion in his voice.

"I told you! I told you not to bring anyone here! Now they know… They know that missing woman was here!" McDonough bit his clenched fist in an attempt to keep from yelling.

"You need to calm down", X6 watched the Mayor with cold detachment, "All they know is someone with teleportation technology passed through here. They don't know who, and they don't know exactly where. They are probably under the impression that it was some rogue survivors from the Institute behind this".

"And they're right!" McDonough's voice rose, but before he could say another word, X6 closed the physical gap between them, his expressionless yet terrifying face mere inches from McDonough's.

"Keep… Your voice… Down", X6 instructed.

McDonough turned an unpleasant shade of purple as he bottled his fear and resentment of the Courser. "You shouldn't have come here that night. They'll find out -"

"They'll find out only if someone tells them", X6 spoke in a hushed voice, an artificial grin creeping on his face, "Just like the people of this small town will only find out their Mayor is a synth if someone tells them". It was a threat X6 knew would shut the plump incompetent fool up.

McDonough's gaze broke away, seceding any authority he had in the discussion, "You're... you're right… They won't find out anything".

"I'm glad to hear it", X6 replied, "But if you ever find yourself losing control of your emotions like this again, just remember our conversation tonight". The courser turned on his heel and left McDonough shaking with fear in his office.

He was going to have to find a way of dealing with the newcomers. The guards informed him that they'd made quick work getting in touch with Nick Valentine and that they'd already been to the abandoned house that used to belong to a mercenary by the name of Kellogg years ago. Though he didn't know the details, he felt he had to do something to throw them off the trail.


	14. Fork in the Road

Sitting at a table with his soldiers in a place called the Dugout Inn, Boone tried to blend in, taking leisurely swigs of his Nuka Cola while keeping an eye out for suspicious looking individuals. Daniel and one of the soldiers had gone to Valentine's office to examine their options after collecting some evidence from the abandoned shack in Diamond City. Boone had tried to stay with them but, as always, had trouble sitting in one spot when he was on edge. The drug Daniel had given to him almost 24 hours ago was beginning to wear off, and Boone was trying to do everything he could to stop himself from delving into a frenzied state, so he gave his mind a task to chew on.

The Commonwealth was nothing like Boone had ever seen in his life. Although in severe disarray and condition the city itself was, overall, intact. It was interesting to see how people had adapted to life in this environment, but Boone didn't think he would ever get used to living in the city; too many high-rise buildings where someone could get a lucky shot.

1st Sergeant Luca, one of the youngest members of the team, shifted in his seat uncomfortably. They had been entrenched at the same table for almost three hours without much luck in spotting someone who didn't look like a shifty character.

"Sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but do you think we'll find anything here that will help?" Luca murmured uncomfortably.

"Maybe not", Boone finished the last of his Cola, "Then again, maybe we'll get lucky". His eyes darted to a dark-haired woman sitting at a table across the room. Unlike the rest of the patrons around her she appeared calm, collected, almost bored at the prospect of being at the bar. Wrapped in a weathered black leather coat that fell below her knees, she sat at her table, sipping on a bottle of beer. To anyone else she probably looked inconspicuous, except to Boone. He noticed her sneaking glances at their table every once in a while, looking them all over as if studying them. Now he had a theory to test.

"Stay here, I'll be back", he murmured to the others so only they could hear as he got up, pretended to stretch, adjusted his beret and leisurely walked out the door of the establishment. Once outside he continued walking slowly, as though he had all the time in the world. He took a right turn and noticed that the door was taking a bit longer to close behind him. There was hardly anyone around in the early morning, only the occasional guard that seemed to focus their patrol in the centre of the town. Though he couldn't hear footsteps behind, every sense in his body was telling him that he was being followed. He carried on walking, maintaining his pace as he turned a corner and briefly glimpsed a dark silhouette of a woman behind him. His heart quickened with anticipation as he turned and drew his combat knife, keeping a tight grip and taking a hand-to-hand combat ready stance; but nothing came. He waited, feeling his heart pounding in his throat, his ears twitching at every sound.

"Boone!" Daniel's voice called some distance behind him, making him swerve round, "Glad I found you. We've found something".

Boone rushed at Daniel, pinned him to the rough concrete wall and cupped his mouth with his palm to silence him. If he wasn't pre-occupied with the follower, he would have been amused by Daniel's bewildered expression.

"Someone's following me" he whispered, "Stay here. Keep quiet".

Daniel nodded and glued himself to the wall while Boone turned his attention back in the direction where he last saw the suspicious silhouette; though he couldn't find anyone, not even discernible footprints in the worn dirt. Could he have imagined it? He gritted his teeth in annoyance and marched back to the Inn with Daniel following behind. Storming back inside the establishment he noticed the table where the dark-haired woman was sitting at was empty.

"Everything alright Colonel?" one of the soldier's asked, walking up to him.

"When I left, did you see anyone follow me out? A woman, wearing a weathered long coat and dark hair?"

The soldier nodded, "Yes sir, she left very shortly after you did. Why?"

Boone exhaled in frustration and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his heart still pounding in his head from the adrenaline.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked in a hushed voice.

"Isn't it obvious? We're being followed", Boone answered, "From now on no one goes anywhere alone".

"Maybe we can get some information from detective Valentine on who would have a vested interest in following us", Daniel proposed.

Boone and the others agreed to Daniel's suggestion, picked up their things and left the Dugout Inn to speak with the detective.

* * *

Back in Acadia, X6 busied himself with de-coding information from a holotape that was left for him at one of the safe drop-off points their Commonwealth informants used to keep DiMA appraised of the situation in the city. This last holotape was one of the highly awaited pieces of information from a spy they had embedded in the Railroad; or what was left of it.

"You've become sloppy since the Institute was brought down", a woman's voice spoke behind him, "Didn't cover your tracks as well as you thought".

"It's nice to see you too, Chase", X6 replied calmly, his attention unflinching from the information on the terminal in front of him.

"You want to guess what I found in Diamond City?" Chase continued, egging him into revealing his mistake.

"I do not guess, you know that", X6 replied.

"I found the NCR. NCR soldiers in the Commonwealth. I wonder what they're doing all this way East".

"The sarcasm in your tone is unwarranted", X6 answered calmly, "They will not be troubling us long".

"No, they won't", Chase leaned on the desk next to him, folding her arms in front of her chest and a scolding look on her hard features, "Because we have a deal. When you get the cure for the others, you will take care of the woman".

X6 paused his work and looked up at Chase, refraining from revealing any emotions, "That is not the deal I originally agreed to".

"I'm amending it", Chase added, "This shouldn't be a problem for you, knowing your past. And you know as well as I that this is what's best for all of us. She knows too much already, she cannot be allowed to carry that information with her".

"Am I to assume this is an order from DiMA?"

Chase nodded curtly, "Yes. And… However you do it, make sure there's no trace left behind. Don't want to draw any more attention than you already have".

"Liam will not approve of this", X6 protested.

"No, he won't; but then again he doesn't have to know. Just like he doesn't know about your involvement in Hidden Valley".

X6 lowered his gaze, feeling a twinge of guilt for having to go behind Liam's back, "Very well".

Chase smiled, gave X6 a light touch on his shoulder and left to carry on with her duties. X6 wondered how many of those jobs involved doing DiMA's dirty work.

* * *

"After examining the abandoned shack, Daniel and I have found some evidence of recent activity inside. There's no doubt about it, someone had broken in and they weren't alone", Valentine explained to everyone crowded in his tiny office.

"Were there any witnesses? Do you know where they would be headed?", Boone asked urgently, still feeling the effects of the adrenaline rush.

"I'm still going over some witness statements. The interesting thing is no one saw anyone go in or out the property, but some of the guards have noticed a peculiar newcomer around the area. I believe this is your kidnapper".

"Are you certain?" Daniel asked dubiously.

Valentine nodded, "I'm fairly certain, yes. The timing between your friend's disappearance and his arrival can't be coincidence. And from the description I received from the guards, I think I know exactly who took Maya… All I can say is it's not going to be easy to find your guy".

"Who is it?" Boone asked.

"He is… well, was, a courser for the Institute", Valentine explained to all the confused faces crowding around him, "I believe his name is X6-88 and some of his specialties, that we know of, include covert operations, infiltration, and sabotage. This has his M.O. all over it"

"Wait, what's the Institute?" Sgt. Luca asked perplexed.

Valentine sighed tiredly and collected a file from his desk, handing it to the Sgt. "The Institute was an insidious organisation that was destroyed years ago. Although with the sudden re-appearance of this courser… Makes me wonder if they were ever defeated".

"Whatever the case, we just want to get our friend back", Daniel answered, "Any ideas where this courser could have headed?"

Getting up from his rickety chair, Valentine went over to a map of the Commonwealth that he had pinned on to a board on the wall behind him, "I couldn't tell you an exact location, since the Institute had a lot of areas they had vested interests in. Mostly high value spots, buildings with a lot of high tech or robotics. Hmmm… I wonder…"

"What?" Boone snapped rudely, but Valentine seemed to ignore the outburst

"Back in the day, Coursers didn't just go about kidnapping anyone. Does your friend have a special skill set, or something that would make her useful?"

"Yes, she's an engineer. She's been integral in restoring the aircraft at McCarran airport, and she has experience in engineering physics", Daniel answered, moving closer to Valentine to study the map himself.

"Well, she'd definitely be a valuable asset to anyone, that's for sure", Valentine answered in wonder, "It would be difficult to pinpoint where she could have been taken, though there are a couple of places that come to my mind. Arcjet is one possibility, though it's been picked clean by the Brotherhood; don't think there's anything worth anyone's time or efforts in there. Let's see… Assuming he was carrying your friend, traveling on foot, where could our perp have gone… Cambridge Polymer Labs, C.I.T. Ruins, and the Mass Fusion building are all within a walkable distance. I think it would be safe to assume that the Courser travelled up North rather than East", Valentine pointed on the map.

"Why? What's in the East?" Daniel asked.

"The Brotherhood of Steel. They make regular patrols in the Eastern area but tend to avoid the area around the C.I.T. ruins due to residual radiation from the battle", Valentine answered, "Seeing as you are new to the area, I wonder if you would consider letting me tag along. I know the Commonwealth like the back of my hand, and if things go south, well… It doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands".

"We would be grateful for the help, and your company", Daniel replied with a friendly smile.

* * *

With the approval of Elder McNamara and General Hsu, Danse and Ibsen were escorted to Hidden Valley in an old-world armoured truck that the engineering team at McCarran airport managed to repair before disaster struck. Their orders were to determine the source of the failure of the bunker, and if it was indeed sabotage as Danse insisted. Ramos was already waiting for them at the site, having spent most of his waking hours since the incident trying to gain access into the bunker.

The truck stopped at the edge of Hidden Valley, dropping Danse and Ibsen off with some fresh supplies and equipment. Danse and Ibsen observed the NCR, Brotherhood and another faction's rescue crews still busying themselves at the site. They were both surprised as it appeared that something urgent was going on. Heading down, they stopped one of the men and insisted he tell them what was going on.

"We have confirmation that Head Scribe Taggart is alive", the man answered urgently.

"What?! How?!" Ibsen demanded, "Where is he?"

"Still inside the bunker, stuck in the simulation training room. We picked up a short radio burst from him".

"Why weren't we notified of this immediately?" Danse scowled at the shorter man.

"We found out less than an hour ago ourselves, there was no time to send a mission update. Now, if you'll excuse me", the man pushed urgently past Ibsen and Danse and ran off to see to his duties.

Ibsen looked around him frantically, trying to determine the epicentre of the activities, "We need to find Ramos. Come on!"

Both men weaved their way through the chaos, making their way to the main tent at the Eastern side where they hoped they would find the Chief of Security. Just as they neared the entrance, Ramos pulled back the tent flap and almost fell back in surprise when he saw them.

"God damn it! What are you two doing here?" he barked, clutching his chest.

"We're here to help. I thought you were informed of our arrival", Ibsen answered, feeling somewhat confused at Ramos' reaction to seeing them.

"As you can see, we're a little busy here and updates take some time to get to me", Ramos walked out hurriedly, "There's been a development. Taggart is alive, stuck in the bunker. We picked up a radio communication from him when we were trying to by-pass the bunker's automated lockdown measures but very shortly after he was cut off; as was the ventilation".

Ibsen's eyes widened, "So, he's running out of air? How did this happen?"

Ramos gritted his teeth, feeling the pressure getting to him, "I don't know, alright?! I'm on my way now to speak with Daniel's team if you'd like to join me and maybe we'll both have some answers".

The scribe nodded and they followed Ramos some distance away from the camp, towards the South of Hidden Valley where a group of men dressed in fitted dark grey overalls and carrying tech Ibsen would have loved to sit down and study for the next month.

"This is it. We found him", one of them callout out to Ramos, pointing at the ground. Another man operating a complicated piece of equipment, positioned a large transparent film on the ground that lit up and showed a lot of static. Ibsen's jaw dropped when he saw a black human like silhouette, crouched and fumbling with an item in their hand on the screen.

"Is that…?"

"Yes", the leader of the group nodded, "Based on plans we have of the bunker, we believe this is Head Scribe Taggart".

"He's still alive", Ramos looked down at the screen in amazement, "After all this time…"

"He won't be alive for long, unless we can get some air to him. We estimate he has maybe another six hours of air left before he starts to feel the first signs of hypoxia", the leader answered.

"Any update on the bunker's firewall?" Ramos asked.

"The second team is still trying, but it's proving difficult. We break through one firewall and another comes up. So far they've broken through half a dozen firewalls, but there doesn't seem to be an end to it".

"That's impossible!" Ibsen exclaimed, "At most there should be two; the main and a backup".

The lead engineer shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know what tell you. It's almost as if it's reading us like a book, anticipating our next move".

"The computer?" Ramos scoffed, "That's insane".

"I thought so too, until I saw it with my own eyes. It's as if the software is learning and putting up counter measures based on our input".

"So… What do we do? If there's no way to break through the programming, how do we get Taggart out?" Ramos asked urgently.

"First we need to get a steady supply of air to the bunker. We have some equipment with us that we can use to make a small hole through the ventilation system".

"There's no way you will be able to drill through into the bunker", Ibsen shook his head, "The walls are reinforced with at least five feet of concrete and a foot of solid steel".

"I'm not proposing we drill through all that material. Just to drill a hold in the ground big enough to break through the ventilation duct, then get a probe down there and drill a smaller hole through the locked fans".

"Okay, get on it", Ramos felt a crack of hope break through the dread in his stomach, "How long do you need?"

"It's going to be tight", the man answered, "At best three hours to get through into the vent, then maybe another hour to get through the fan system".

Ramos nodded in understanding, "Alright, we'll stop wasting your time then", and urgently pulled Ibsen to one side away from the others, "And youhave your work cut out for you. I've already notified the technicians working on the firewall that you and our guest will be joining them".

"What if we don't succeed?" Ibsen asked, "If we can't break through the programming…".

"Not an option!" Ramos yelled back at them as he was pulled away by another team and absorbed in the crowd.

Ibsen stood rooted to the spot, a sense of panic spreading from his mind and paralysing him. What if they failed? What if they could never get control over their bunker again?

"Hey, you alright?" Danse looked over the Scribe, noticing the fear building up in him.

Ibsen nodded shakily, wiping off the cold sweat off his brow, "Yes… Yeah. Just a momentary lapse in confidence, but I'm good".

"I know I'm not a Scribe and this isn't exactly my area of expertise, but I said I would help you figure this out and I will do so to the best of my abilities", Danse tried to reassure him and break his panic spiral.

"Alright", Ibsen tried to smile, realising that he wasn't alone in this task, "Let's go get Taggart out!"

* * *

"We need a doctor!"

"Make way! Move, move!"

Every little jostle and loud noise felt physically painful for Manny. After all he'd been through, all he wanted to do was sleep. He didn't remember much after getting out of his underground prison, just a worn dirt road, the heat and blinding light from the sun prickling his skin, and the world fading from his vision. He must have passed out from exhaustion while he was trying to find his way back on the main road. Fighting to regain consciousness, he forced his eyes open just enough to see what was going on. From what he could tell he was being carried by two men dressed in military uniform. Before he lost consciousness again, he saw them weave through a barrier and tall fence, and he felt like he knew exactly where he was now: Mojave Outpost. At last, he was safe.

When he finally regained consciousness he found that four days had passed since he was brought to the outpost. A doctor who everyone referred to as Doc Mitchell was by his side the whole time.

"Easy there friend, you've been out of it for a couple of days now", he said when he found Manny awake and trying to sit up in his bunk bed, "Here, let me help". He piled two pillows behind his back to prop Manny up so he could take a drink of water.

"W-what… Who..?"

"I'm Doc Mitchell. I've been tending to your injuries since you got here."

"What happened?" Manny managed to speak, though his own voice sounded strange to him.

"Well, we were hoping you could tell us", Doc Mitchell shifted forward in his seat and waved Lt. Colonel Knight over, who joined them.

"Hello, sir. How are you feeling?" Knight asked, taking a pen from his shirt pocket and scribbling some things on a form attached to a clipboard.

Manny blinked and rubbed his eyes gently until his vision came into focus, "Alive… Though I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open".

"Give it another day or two, you'll start feeling like your old self", the doc smiled reassuringly.

Knight managed a smile and nodded approvingly, though Manny could tell that his appearance took the soldier aback, "Yes, you were very lucky one of our patrols found you. Can you tell us your name?"

"Manny… Vargas", he replied, watching Knight scribble down that information.

"Can you tell me what happened out there, Manny?"

The mere question brought unsettling flashbacks of his torture, being held down as someone stuck needles into his arms, the pained groans and screams of other men around him; it put him in a panicked state of mind. He desperately tried to collect himself before answering, but Doc Mitchell noticed that the topic was putting Manny in an uncomfortable state of mind.

"You don't have to answer if you don't feel ready to, son", his eyes conveyed a kindness Manny hadn't seen for most of his life.

"No… No, I – I have to", he gulped, taking another shaky sip of water, "I was tricked, abducted and… tortured".

"By whom?" Knight asked, his gaze breaking away from the form on his clipboard, "When?"

Manny shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know… It feels like forever. There was a job, some people were looking for mercs. Very shady, under the table kind of work. I should have known…". Slowly as he strung back his memories together, Manny described everything that had happened since that day, the experiments that they did on him, and what sparse conversations he heard from his captors. The story was so overwhelmingly glum that it took Doc Mitchell and Lt. Colonel Knight a moment before they uttered a word.

"I'm so very sorry that you were put through such hell, Manny", Doc Mitchell's sorrowful eyes met Manny's, "The good news is that you were able to escape! You're safe now, no one can hurt you here".

"I'll relay this information to the brass immediately", Knight replied assuredly, "And I will send a party to investigate the area you mentioned. They surely will have left some evidence behind that we'll be able to use to track the bastards".

For the first time since he escaped, Manny was overwhelmed with joy and hope; hope that the men who tortured him would be caught and brought to justice. He also knew that with his knowledge he was their best chance of finding the perpetrators. But before he could do anything, he needed to recuperate and get his strength back. If anyone was going to make those assholes pay for what they did, it was him.

* * *

X6 skulked in the shadows in the dark hallway outside the room where Liam and Maya had just solved the problem of the component degradation that was causing the synths that had left the Institute with Liam to deteriorate. Now it was only a matter of distributing the cure to the affected individuals. He had studied Maya since their first encounter outside Camp McCarran in the Mojave where, even though he was able to subdue her, he was impressed with how quickly she was able to figure out that he was an imposter and how she held her own ground in their hand to hand fight; though she needed to work on her parrying techniques. Though Maya was more of an intellect, she reminded him a little of Nora in her fierceness, determination, and kindness. It was no wonder that Liam was so taken with her.

"I can't believe you've solved it… and it was so simple!" Liam exclaimed as he observed the positive results showing on one of their volunteers.

"It's simple now because we know what to look for", Maya replied, helping the synth volunteer back onto his feet, "Though I would recommend that everyone who receives treatment gets plenty of rest. And this is just a temporary solution. We need to find a way to turn off that command without resorting to complex brain surgery, otherwise you'd need to repeat this every couple of years".

"I'm sure we will find it, but even if we only have your solution to go with it'll be more than enough", Liam's face was turning a shade of pink. It was almost amusing for X6 to observe this behaviour; he'd never seen Liam this infatuated with anyone before. Despite his intrigue with Liam's new behaviour, his task loomed over him and he had to do it quickly.

Stepping out of the shadows and into the room, he looked over the treated synth and noticed an improved difference, "I take it you have been successful in finding a cure".

"Yes!" Liam exclaimed, "With Maya's help, we should be able to treat everyone".

"That is good news", X6 replied, his voice level and cool, "Then, I take it this would be a good time for me to borrow our guest?"

Liam shrugged and looked over at Maya, "I don't see why not".

"What do you want?" Maya asked tersely, shooting a cold glaze at the Courser.

"There is a matter that needs our attention", X6 didn't want to elaborate further than he needed to until he decided what to do, but his response only elicited more suspicion from Maya.

"You're awful cryptic today X6", Liam quipped, "If you would rather stay here and continue helping me, I would more than appreciate your company", he told Maya.

"I don't trust him", Maya folded her arms in front of her chest, maintaining eye contact with X6 who didn't seem phased by her attitude.

"You needn't worry, Maya. If you don't trust him, then trust me; X6 won't do anything to hurt you. Isn't that right?" Liam looked over at the Courser, who seemed to give his words consideration before nodding.

Maya hesitated for a moment but decided she needed to see what he wanted and agreed to go with X6, making sure she kept at least an arm's distance away from him. They made their way down the stairs and out of the Greentech Genetics building, where X6 stopped and looked Maya over, as if studying her.

"What?" Maya squinted in the light of the afternoon, keeping her arms at the ready beside her in case he made a move against her.

"You're going to need this", X6 reached inside his coat and took out something familiar. It was a rectangular object with a series of dials, contained in a rough canvas and leather crossbody bag.

"A… stealth boy?" Maya cocked her head, still unsure where this was going, "What's going on?"

"You need to leave", X6 said.

Maya shook her head, "So you got what you wanted from me and now you're just going to dump me in the streets like a dog? With no supplies or –"

"Your people from the Mojave have tracked you to the Commonwealth. They're closer than you think", X6 handed her the stealth boy and a loaded pipe pistol, "I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay here".

The information almost overwhelmed Maya, "What?! But, Liam promised -"

"There are things that Liam himself doesn't, and can never, know", X6 replied curtly, "Let's just say there are other players behind the scene that have their own plans that they have already set into motion".

Maya exhaled in frustration, taking the gifts that the Courser presented her with without complaints, "So what changed your mind?"

"You", he answered honestly.

"Me? How the hell did I change your mind?"

"You can ask me that next time we meet. Now you must go. You don't have a lot of time".

"Where am I going?" Maya asked, checking the updated map on her PipBoy, "And what about Cross?"

"She's waiting for you at Cabot House. You must go there after finding your companions", X6 marked the location on her map, "Your friends are going up to the C.I.T. Ruins. I would advise you turn on your stealth boy as soon as you leave, and meet with your people before they get to their destination".

"Why?"

"That area is, shall we say… A hot spot for those 'other' individuals I mentioned", X6 warned her.

Maya had a sense that she didn't have time to debate the matter with X6 or that he would even humour her with a straightforward answer.

'Nothing's simple or straightforward in this damned city', she thought to herself, securing the stealthboy close to her. She started to go down the steps of the building before looking back to check if she was being followed, but X6 simply stood still as a statue, watching her go and giving her curt nod of approval. She turned on the stealth boy and disappeared, quickly and silently making her way to the C.I.T. Ruins. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought back to her conversation with X6. He said that her companions were in the Commonwealth… Did that mean that Boone was in Boston looking for her? The thought of that possibility and of seeing him again added swiftness to her pace.


	15. Chuck

Keeping her breathing in check as she jogged following the directions X6 gave her on her PipBoy, Maya kept her eyes and ears open for any movement. Though she was invisible to the eye she wasn't to the ear, so she tried to run at a pace where she wasn't breathing too hard for anyone nearby to hear and picked paths that weren't cluttered with debris. From time to time she looked back making sure she wasn't being followed by her captors, but luckily there was no one. The Courser's explanation of the mysterious 'other players' was cryptic and practically useless; Maya didn't even know what or who to look out for, let alone if everything he said was true. Then again she wasn't about to argue with her captor about the political situation in this city when she could be running away; and feeling the slight burn in her lungs, the rush of adrenaline and air through her hair again felt good.

She made good time and reached the C.I.T. ruins in about ten minutes, slowing down to a fast-paced walk as she approached the area. The site looked like it had suffered a catastrophic attack in recent years, a bombardment from the look of the dark scorch marks on the ground and the walls of the surrounding buildings. Suddenly she started hearing the Giger counter on her PipBoy start to go off.

"Shhh! Damn it!" she muttered quietly, trying to back off as far as she could to stop the crackling. If she couldn't get through this area, it meant that she would have to take a slight detour down the back alleyways, which weren't marked on her PipBoy. Maya exhaled in frustration, pursing her lips as her mind went over the possibilities. One thing was certain and that was she would have to go around the site entirely. She didn't have any Rad-X or Rad Away on her, and just skimming around the outer perimeter of the site already dosed her with 11 ergs per second. With such high levels at the furthest distance, Maya estimated that running through the area would be too hazardous and she had no idea when she would be able to get her hands on some Rad Away. Until she found her people she'd have to keep her radiation levels down. So a decision had to be made: take the alleyways and hope that they would lead her out to the other side, or go back and take the bridge she had passed not long ago.

'Screw it', she thought, deciding to take the less secure but quicker alternative in the alleyways. Keeping close to the walls and checking each and every corner before she pushed forward, Maya successfully managed to stay outside of the radiation zone; what she didn't expect was to encounter a dead end. It was at this point that the stealth boy started to act up, flickering her back into full view before re-engaging.

"You stupid piece of shit", she couldn't help but to speak her thoughts out loud as she looked around for something to help get her over the tall wall. There was a fire escape stairway about two feet up above her head and a dumpster just underneath that she used to clamber up onto the stairs. Once up, she realised that there was no safe way to get over the wall, so out of curiosity she carried on going up the stairs in the hopes that she could, maybe, jump from roof to roof until she was safe and could get back down. Up on the roof of the old brick building she got a good look of her surroundings and, to her dismay, the stealthboy stopped working. Hunching low to the ground to avoid being seen, she found some abandoned coolers and medkit bags that had been left out by someone. Taking only what she needed, some purified water and an almost empty bottle of Rad-X so as not to deprive whoever had decided to bunk out on the roof of their things, she found some re-enforced planks of wood that were used to bridge the short gap to the adjacent building and followed it. Luckily it seemed that whoever had made all this wasn't around… Or if they were, they were doing a good job of hiding. But the longer Maya stayed around the C.I.T. Ruins, the more earie the atmosphere felt. There were no sounds of birds, no people, not even ghouls; just the crumbling sounds of deteriorating brick and screech of metal as the wind buffeted them. Then, something in the corner of Maya's eye caught her attention and she dropped down to the ground. Her heart was pounding in her ears making it difficult to hear anything else. Slowly raising her head above the two-foot-tall brick wall on the roof, her eyes darted to the spot where she'd seen movement. Something or someone was there, she could roughly determine a human figure blending in with the dark debris on a building opposite her. She quickly ducked her head back down to avoid being seen, trying to slow her breathing. Without even realising it she was panting heavily, her whole body shaking with a tense anticipation. It was then that she heard scraping noises to her right. There was a metal ladder and it was shaking like someone was climbing up it.

"No no no, crap!", Maya breathed and rushed to her feet as silently as possible, jumping to the adjoining building and pressing her back against the dirty wall of a cluttered rooftop greenhouse. She cursed herself for not taking the safer route back to the bridge. Checking that her pipe pistol was loaded, she held it tightly with both hands and pointed at the ground. Taking a quick peek around the corner after the ear-splitting sound of metal grinding on brick subsided and was replaced by a familiar thud of boots on concrete, she saw a hooded man looking around the area where she had just picked the medicine from. It was difficult to tell if he was a raider or one of the party members X6 insinuated about, but Maya wasn't about to stop and have a conversation about it with him. As stealthily as a shadow, she retreated out of the back door of the greenhouse, picking up a screwdriver that was lying on the floor next to the door in case she needed it. It wasn't a combat knife, but in a hand to hand fight it would do the job. Keeping low to the ground, she traversed her way down a more stable fire escape to a lower building, then slid down a wooden powerline pole that had broken off and crashed through the side of the building. On the ground she kept to the shadows, away from direct line of sight of the building she last saw the raider at. Trying her luck with the stealthboy again she determined that the radiation from the site must have affected whatever sensitive circuitry was inside the box. There was no other choice but to leave it as it was too heavy and cumbersome to lug around. Checking the map on her PipBoy, she saw that she was on the outer perimeter of the C.I.T. Ruins.

'Not completely out of the woods yet, but getting there', she smiled to herself, stashing the stealthboy in an empty old-world ice box outside of a comic book store. Just as she got up to carry on her way West, she had an unsettling feeling in her stomach that she was being watched and a shadow inside the derelict and dark comic book store made her flinch in its direction. She froze in a crouched position, staring into the darkness inside for what felt like forever… but nothing happened. 'Probably just a radroach…', Maya tried to brush it off as a shiver ran down her spine. Then, just as she focused her attention back on the road, she felt something grab her left arm and yank her inside, slamming her onto what felt like broken bookcases. Maya fired off several rounds of her pipe pistol but something knocked it out of her hand. She couldn't see what or who it was and realised that she was in trouble. She had to get out! Even if there were raiders outside!

Rolling on her side, she made a mad dash for the door but felt something hit her chest and slam her to the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs.

Maya gasped and frantically tried to fight whatever force was putting immense pressure on her chest, her eyes wide with fear desperately looking for any movement. It was then that she felt something breathing close to her, maybe a foot above her own head. Instinctively she whipped her head forward and connected with her assailant. A sickening crack made her body shudder, but it worked. Whatever was pressing down on her chest let go and Maya scrambled to her feet.

"Aaarrgh!" a rough woman's voice screamed next to her and another shove sent Maya sprawling face first on the dusty ground. Maya kicked behind her and she felt something break beneath the sole of her boot, causing a familiar shimmer of light of a stealthboy as her attacker suddenly became visible. It was a woman that looked like she was in her mid-forties, dark brown hair to her shoulders and a long leather coat very similar to the one X6 wore!

"He sent you after me?!" Maya screamed, landing a well-placed punch to the woman's jaw sending her sprawling back on her heels, "Son of a bitch!"

The woman pulled a silenced pistol and aimed it at Maya's head, firing off three rounds. Maya ducked to the side and one bullet missed her head; two hit her in the shoulder and made her fall back in shock. The woman swooped on her, pressing all her weight onto Maya and jabbing one of her knees into her ribs which made her take haggard breaths.

"I'm here to do what he couldn't", the woman pressed the gun to Maya's forehead, "Nothing personal, but you already know too much".

The jarring moment Maya felt the cold metal of the pistol touch her forehead, she was certain that she was going to die and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She had fought to the bitter end and now, after living over 200 years in this God forsaken world and surviving the most devastating war in history, she was going to die in this dark hole; robbed of a chance at her reunion with the man she loved.

"Craig", she whispered and closed her eyes, feeling hot tears stream down her face.

A rumble above them made the attacker pause, and not long after they heard the noise did the ceiling behind them collapse.

"Stop!" a man's voice yelled out of the cloud of dust and debris, "Drop the gun!".

Feeling the dark-haired woman pull the gun away from her head hauled Maya out of her paralysis. This was her chance! Instinctively she pulled the screwdriver out of the side of her belt and with both arms drove it into the woman's chest to the handle. Seeing the shock and astonishment in her black eyes gave Maya a disturbing satisfaction.

"Get the fuck off me!" Maya kicked the woman away from her, sending her stumbling to a corner clutching her chest and rummaging for something on her arm.

"Don't!" the stranger called out, but too late. The woman vanished in a blinding blue light, leaving no trace of her presence behind.

Realising she wasn't alone and that there was a high chance that she was still in danger, Maya dived for her pipe pistol and aimed it at the man's head.

"Back off! Right now, or I'll shoot!" Maya grunted, keeping herself propped up on a half-collapsed wall. She was starting to feel faint and light headed. When she looked down at her left shoulder she realised why; she was bleeding profusely.

"Easy! I'm not going to hurt you", the man answered, raising his hands above his head, "I'm here to help".

"Bullshit", Maya spat, keeping her gun pointed at him.

He slowly pulled the hood away from his features, revealing his face to her, "I'm friendly. If you don't trust me, trust Chuck".

For a second, Maya had no idea what he was talking about and shook her head, "Who the fuck is Chuck?"

"Chuck Finley…?" the man replied, "He said you two knew each other. Y'know, back in the Citadel?"

It took a moment for Maya to even register the name, but slowly fleeting memories of a man called Chuck Finley did come back to her. But Chuck Finley was a Brotherhood Knight; how did this stranger know him?

"Where is Chuck? And how do you know him?"

The man shrugged, "He's waiting at our bunker close to Oberland Station and he's my father".

Maya blinked in surprise and lowered her gun, a sheepish grin on her face as she muttered "Oh… Interesting", before losing consciousness and collapsing on the ground.


	16. A Critical Chance

Danse stood at the precipice of the bunker's door, watching Ibsen and a team of technicians working furiously and hopelessly on gaining control of their bunker.

"It's no use. I've tried everything I know", Ibsen angrily threw his tools to the side, panic gripping him, "I can't do this". Danse could see the panic suffocating him, the whites of his eyes glassy and prominent.

"You're not going to quit now?!" Danse exclaimed.

Ibsen shook his head, wiping the rolling sweat from his brown with a shaky hand, "There's no way to open that door".

"We can't give up; Taggart's life is at stake!"

"You don't think I know that?!" Ibsen retorted, "Here, take a look for yourself", he brought his PipBoy to Danse and scrolled through the seemingly endless lines of code that kept oddly shifting and changing before his eyes. "How do I make sense of that, let alone make changes to the code long enough to get the damn door to open?!"

The code was mesmerising and yet, somehow, familiar to Danse. It was a strange sensation, as if déjà vu had struck him. He stood rooted to the spot, watching and studying the changes happen; it was almost as if the code itself was part of a living entity, reacting to its surroundings and every attempt to circumvent its programming.

"It almost looks like it's alive…"

Ibsen looked at him as if he were irrational, "No, it's not. It's a highly unpredictable algorithm, half of which doesn't even make sense".

But that's where Ibsen was wrong; it did make sense, if you knew what you were looking for. Danse noticed a repeating pattern within the shifting code, and he had an instinct that it was an authentication attempt. He opened up the keyboard and started typing before Ibsen even had a chance to stop him, and as soon as he entered in the final keystroke the door to the bunker unlocked with a loud bang, startling the team of engineers who were still working on the door.

"What did you do?!" Ibsen exclaimed in surprise.

"I just typed in a passcode, that's all!" Danse looked at the Scribe in surprise and handed him his PipBoy back.

"How did you know the passcode?"

Danse shrugged, "Something about a section of the code looked familiar; so I filled in the information it was prompting for".

Turing their attention back to the bunker, Ibsen, Danse, and a team of soldiers and engineers stood at the ready to enter the bunker.

"Keep a tight formation. Once inside, we make our way to the core and shut down the system", Ibsen instructed, "Is everyone ready?"

The group nodded in unison.

"Alright…here goes nothing", Ibsen breathed, opening the heavy bunker door that let them inside a vast room with another smaller door in front of them. This was their embarkation room, where the Knights and Paladins would prepare to exit the main bunker. It was also a first line of defence; should an intruder somehow find a way to break in, they would easily be contained in this chamber until security dealt with them. "Keep that door open!" he instructed the crews outside, in case the door closed up on them and they didn't get a chance to get out. Taking their positions, with Danse and Ibsen at the second door attempting to unlock it and soldiers standing on either side of them, armed and ready for anything that could come their way.

"I think we have another problem", Ibsen exhaled in frustration.

"What's the matter?" Danse moved closer to examine the terminal. This time it looked like the entirety of the code had been scrambled. There was no way to make sense of what was in front of them, "Oh… I see".

"What did you do last time?" Ibsen asked, still concentrating on the code flashing on his PipBoy, "Maybe if we do it again it'll work".

"I just typed in the answer to a question", Danse replied reluctantly, not certain if it was wise to reveal all the information he had.

"Which was..." Ibsen prompted Danse to answer.

"Acadia", Danse answered hesitantly, but he shouldn't have worried. The answer didn't even seem to phase the scribe, except to exacerbate him when he entered it in the terminal and got no positive response. Instead, he handed Danse the PipBoy and resumed working on the terminal while the soldiers tried to physically pry the door open.

All Danse could do was stare at the flickering and shifting letters, feeling the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. There was no way that the others could physically get the doors to open, and he wagered that if this Brotherhood's bunker was anything like all the others he encountered, the doors would be blast proof as well. The only way in was to try to figure out the code.

Pacing in the vast chamber and feeling anticipation rise within him, Danse came across something that caught his attention. As he was pacing, he noticed a camera in the corner of the room following him silently. His attention snapped to it and, figuring there was a chance that it was possible that Taggart had gained access to a security room, Danse walked up to the camera and waved.

"Hello, can you see me?" he yelled above the noise of the other team, watching the lens of the domed camera and a red dot follow his approach, "Can you hear me?"

His PipBoy flashed as the code on his screen disappeared and were replaced by a single word: " _Yes_ "

Danse felt his heart thump in his chest, "Hey! Over here!" he called to the others.

"What is it?" Ibsen looked over Danse's shoulder, following the trail of his gaze to the word 'Yes' on his PipBoy. His jaw almost dropped in surprise.

"Taggart, is that you?" Danse called up at the camera.

A brief pause before the answer ' _No_ ' flashed on the PipBoy's screen. Ibsen shook his head, "I don't understand, who the hell are we talking to?"

"Is there anyone else stuck in the bunker that we don't know about?" Danse asked quickly, but Ibsen shook his head.

"No. Taggart was the only one".

Looking up at the camera hesitantly, Danse asked who they were communicating with.

The answer came swiftly: ' _03Gen2_ '

"03Gen2?... Who the hell is that?" Danse screwed up his face in confusion.

"Can you open the door?" Ibsen asked.

 _"No"_

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Ibsen blurted out, "Open the damned door or we will cut it open!"

 _"Entry denied"_

"Let me try something", Danse placed a hand on Ibsen's shoulder, stopping the scribe from further outbursts, "We just need to get one of our men out. Will you allow one of us safe passage inside to collect him?"

There was a long pause before an answer appeared: _"Yes. Paladin Danse has clearance to enter"_

All eyes fell on Danse in astonishment.

"How the hell do they know who you are?" Ibsen asked in a hushed voice.

"Must have been listening to our conversations and picked up our names", Danse whispered, "I will try to find out what's going on in there".

"Make sure that you do", Ibsen answered, handing him a laser rifle, the PipBoy, and a walkie talkie so they could maintain communication.

Standing in front of the door, Danse took a deep breath in to steady himself. He had no idea what to expect on the other side, and what's worse he didn't have his power armour to protect him in case things went south.

The door opened with a hiss and an ominously sickening stench of decay, blood, and gunpowder greeted them. Danse quickly pulled the collar edge of his shirt up to his nose to help filter some of the smell out and kept his rifle at the ready.

"Here!" one of the soldiers handed him a gas mask, "You might need it".

Danse thanked him and turned to Ibsen who was looking very green and heaving from the stench, "Any idea of what I can expect down there?"

The scribe gulped and placed a damp cloth over his nose and mouth, "Automated turrets controlled by the central core in key areas. Armoury, security office, the Vertibird housing and the Elder's office", he pulled Danse to him and whispered in his ear, "Go to the core. Connect the PipBoy to the main terminal and leave the rest to me".

Danse nodded, pulled the mask over his head, and stepped into the darkness of the eerie bunker.

* * *

Standing next to Chase's bed in the medical bay, DiMA held the Courser's hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze every time the pain got too much for her. She was badly injured; he knew that from the moment he saw her teleport back to Acadia with a screwdriver lodged in her heart that it would be a struggle to get her back to a stable condition. Lack of proper medical equipment and supplies made it difficult to treat her wounds properly. DiMA knew that she was the toughest of them all and that she would get through this, but watching one of his own people suffering from a brutal attacked like this wasn't easy.

"DiMA", Chase's rasping voice echoed in the room, "I'm sorry. I failed the mission… she got away".

"No", he leaned in closer to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a sombre smile on his weathered lips, "You are not to blame for this Chase". He sat next to her, watching her laboured breathing and listening to the gurgling sounds of fluids building up in her chest. He wished there was more they could do for her. Before this unfortunate situation, DiMA was considering the option of loosening his grip on the Commonwealth. Chase had told him about her encounter with Nora and the situation with the people in the Commonwealth; there was no doubt that with a single move he could have eradicated the Brotherhood if he wished. But instead he hesitated, his compassion for others still ruling his decisions. He would not hesitate next time.

A soft knock on the door frame behind DiMA swayed his attention; it was Faraday. He had a concerned look that was impossible to ignore.

"What is it Faraday?" DiMA asked.

Faraday gesturing for DiMA to follow him, "There's something you need to look at".

Following Faraday to their server room, DiMA could tell why Faraday was so concerned. Someone had broken into the Hidden Valley Brotherhood bunker. X6-88 had planted an AI while he was in the Mojave searching for a way to save the synths that were suffering from an illness programmed into their system by the Institute, and to take care of the Brotherhood there so he wouldn't be followed.

"How did this individual enter the bunker?" DiMA asked curiously, moving closer to the screens showing him a live feed inside the bunker.

"I'm not certain. The only way in would be if he knew the passcode… which might mean he's one of us", the realisation seemed to strike both of them by surprise.

"What do you want to do?" Faraday asked hesitantly, "Should we contact him?"

DiMA considered the option, but shook his head, "No. Let's just keep an eye on him. See what he does".

* * *

As soon as Danse stepped through the doorway, the door slammed shut behind him, making him jump with fright. Whoever was controlling the bunker really did mean only Danse would be allowed inside; but why?

Ominous darkness was ever present in the bunker. The air inside was still and, despite wearing the mask that the soldier outside had given him, the stench of decay seeped into every space that Danse moved through. Going down the steps leading into the habitat level was the most horrifying; it was where McNamara and some of his Brothers and Sisters had been literally cut down to pieces by the turrets. Danse kept his eyes averted from the fallen men and women strewn on the floor, feeling his way around their contorted corpses. Once through, he followed the local map on the PipBoy that Ibsen had given him. Before getting to the core, he decided to go find Taggart in the simulation room in the hopes that the Head Scribe could offer some insights into what had happened. Luckily, he had no trouble finding him.

"Oh! Thank God!" Taggart exclaimed when Danse walked into the room, "I'd almost given up hope".

"Don't get too excited", Danse grabbed the man by the arm and pulled him in the direction of the Core, "We have to get to the core and finish this".

"Don't you think I tried to get back control?" Taggart complained, trying to keep up with Danse, "I've gone through every algorithm we know to try to shut the system down".

"Yeah, well… Maybe I can help".

A loud rhythmic rumble could be heard in the distance, "What the hell is that?" Danse asked.

"The core", Taggart answered as if it were obvious, "It's been building up a charge since the day of the attack".

"What for?"

"I don't know", Taggart shook his head, "But it's not good, that's for sure".

Reaching the core wasn't as difficult as Danse had thought it would be. The giant warehouse sized core room was impressive, with technology that his Brotherhood would be extremely envious of. Inside the centre of the room, a level or two below them, was the core chamber housing what looked like a dome shaped power generator. He'd seen something like this before, but couldn't remember from where.

"Alright, let's try to shut this thing down", Danse hooked up a connecting switch from the PipBoy to the main terminal.

"It's pointless, we'll never get it to shut down", Taggart whined.

"Never say never", Danse answered with some degree of confidence, even though his gut was telling him to be wary. Once he logged into the system, he radioed Ibsen to inform him that he'd established a connection with the core and for further instructions.

 _"Good. I will try to figure out what's going on"_ , Ibsen's voice came through the radio, _"Oh no…"_

"What?" Danse and Taggart asked almost in unison.

 _"The core is building up a charge"._

"I _already told you_ that", Taggart quipped but was quickly silenced by Danse.

"Any particular reason why?"

 _"I'm not sure… Unless somebody is attempting to blow up the bunker, but there are safety mechanisms in place to prevent it from going critical"_

Danse could hear the concern in Ibsen's voice.

"Alright, what do I need to do?"

 _"Hang tight, I'll try to remotely get into the system"._

Danse waited, observing the flickering terminal screen in front of him. He could see that Ibsen had got into the system and was starting to make changes. So far so good and there was no sign of any alarms being tripped; until a message popped up on his PipBoy.

" _Stop!_ "

"What the hell is that?" Taggart exclaimed in surprise at the letters on the PipBoy.

"We don't know yet, best guess is it's someone responsible for hijacking your bunker", Danse replied.

" _Stop NOW!_ " the letters flashed more urgently.

"Why? Who are you?" Danse asked aloud.

" _You are hurting me!_ "

The last reply perplexed Danse, "Where are you?"

All of a sudden the alarms started blaring and the main lights and power turned off, shutting down all terminal access. It took a moment for the generator to kick in and turn the red emergency lighting on.

"What the hell's going on?!" Taggart exclaimed.

 _"Danse…Taggart…Come…Come in… What's…? Are you… alright?"_ Ibsen's voice crackled on the radio. The signal was breaking up.

"Ibsen, you must have triggered something", Danse spoke into the radio, but it didn't seem like the message got through.

" _Danse?... Hello?... Can….hear me?"_

"I think our signals are being jammed", said Taggart, a fearful look on his face.

A blinding pulse of light emanating from the core overwhelmed the two men. They shielded their eyes and Danse disconnected the PipBoy from the terminal. Suddenly the Geiger counter on the PipBoy started crackling.

"Oh no", Taggart's face drained of color.

"What?!" Danse snapped, trying to get communication back with Ibsen.

"This is it... The core is going to overload".

Danse looked up at him, "There must be a way that we can shut it down".

"There's only one way… But it means we'll be stuck down here, with no way out".

The prospect of being trapped in a bunker with Taggart wasn't appealing, but they didn't seem to have any other choice.

"What happens if we don't manage to stop it?"

"Well… I recon that, with all the power the core has been building up… If it went off it would make a sizeable dent in the Mojave".

"How much of a dent?"

"A 50 mile radius", Taggart winced, "That's just an estimate, likely to be higher by this point".

" _Shit_ ", Danse swore under his breath, "What do we do to shut this thing off?"

"There are two manual shut off levers. The only problem is they're in the core chamber", Taggart gulped, looking down at the pulsating light which was now starting to spark electricity, "They're on opposite sides but they need to be triggered simultaneously. So we're going to have to go in there together".

Danse nodded and shouldered his rifle behind his back and out of the way, "Let's go!"

Making their way inside the core was a hazardous trek. Sparks of electricity arcing from the surface of the core were beginning to reach for them, like tentacles intent on getting hold of anything nearby. Danse got into position on his side, unlocked the safety for the manual lever and waited for Taggart to sound the OK.

"Taggart! I'm ready!" he yelled above the deafening noise of the machine.

"Ready", he heard Taggart from the other side, "Release on the count of three!"

Danse braced himself.

"One…. Two…. Three!"

Danse put his weight on the lever, turning it all the way down with a loud thump. The core erupted into a blinding flash of light and the harsh hum and whining of the generator disappeared, leaving both men in pitch darkness.

* * *

"What happened?" Faraday blinked as all the screens monitoring the bunker went dead.

"They initiated a manual shut off", answered DiMA, his weathered expression turning sombre, "What is the status of the AI?"

"I don't know…", Faraday checked the terminals for any incoming data, "I think we lost it. I'm sorry DiMA".

"Well… nothing we can do now. Their bunker is disabled, the Mojave Brotherhood scattered. At least we can take comfort in knowing that they won't be a threat anytime soon".

This wasn't what DiMA had planned; in fact it was a significant setback. If they didn't get the AI back, it meant that there was a possibility that it was still in the bunker's computer, waiting to be re-initialised again. With the events that had transpired, there was no doubt that the computer would be purged, destroying the AI that DiMA had worked so hard to construct.

One thing was certain: a decision had to be made about whether he would risk any more of his people in retrieving the AI, or do nothing and allow it to potentially fall into the hands of his enemies' hands.

* * *

Several hours later, Danse and Taggart were beginning to feel the air quality in the bunker deteriorating. Without the ventilation system bringing in fresh air, the carbon dioxide levels in the bunker were rising with every breath they took and after exerting themselves with attempts to pry the main door open, they relegated themselves to rest on the cold hard floor.

"Well… At least we tried", Taggart panted, squinting from the headache that was pounding in his temples.

Danse propped himself on the side of the wall, examining the map of the bunker on the PipBoy, "We're not quitting… We're just going to rest for a bit…then get back at it".

"There's no way out of here Danse. When we triggered the manual shut down of the core, it released a massive EMP blast that fried the bunker's computer", Taggart sighed, "Without power, we can't get the doors open".

"That seems…like a really bad design flaw", Danse commented exhaustedly.

"Yeah… I know", Taggart nodded slowly so as not to aggravate his headache, "It was on the to-do list. But… Looks like we won't be doing anything in here for a long while".

"At least we stopped the core from overloading. We saved a lot of lives today".

Neither men said anything for a moment, absorbing the events of what had transpired not long ago.

"We should get some rest", Danse rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Just for a little while".

He heard Taggart heave a sigh of relief, and although he was exhausted himself, there was a part of him that didn't want to close his eyes to rest in the fear that it would be the last time.

"Do you hear that?" Taggart whispered. Danse heard him shuffle a couple of paces away.

"Hear what?"

"Shhh", he silenced him. Sure enough, Danse did hear something far away, but he couldn't determine what it was.

"I hear it", he picked up his laser rifle and turned on the PipBoy light, "Are we sure we're alone"

Taggart nodded, "I'm certain of it. I've spent many days down here and didn't find anyone else".

"Well we better go check it out", he reached down and helped Taggart to his feet.

"It could be the others on the surface trying to get us out".

"Maybe", Danse nodded, "And if they are, maybe we can see if there's anything we can do on our end to help them".

* * *

Outside the bunker, Ibsen and the rescue teams worked around the clock to get Danse and Taggart out. Hours ago they detected an energy spike in the bunker before an EMP went off and disabled their machinery and equipment; his only guess was that they shut off the core using the manual override. Now the engineers and soldiers worked together to dig into the ground and to fix some of the key excavating machinery that were affected by the EMP, one of which was already up and running, drilling furiously into the ground.

"I don't think we'll be able to drill through the bunker's reinforced metal alloy, Ibsen", Ramos shouted over the screams of the machinery, "We'll end up burning all of our equipment out!"

"What other options do we have?", Ibsen added, shielding his eyes from the dust and debris that was being kicked up by the machinery.

Ramos remembered a piece of information about project Archimedes II that McNamara shared with him in confidence.

"Do you think an energy weapon would be able to get through?" he asked, hoping that Ibsen would say yes.

Ibsen thought about the idea and shrugged, "You would need a pretty large energy weapon to make even the slightest dent".

Then it was possible! Ramos didn't want to get his hopes up, but he decided that the time required the option to present itself.

"What if we had a pretty large energy weapon?"

Ibsen turned and squinted suspiciously at the chief of security, "Then that would be news to me. Do we have one?"

"We don't, no. But I know who we can borrow one from".

* * *

Six jumped out of the Vertibird and made her way to Ramos, who was standing by waiting for her arrival.

"This way!" he shouted above the noise of the aircraft's whining engines. He guided her to where the crew had been digging into the dirt for the past three hours, exposing the top wall of the bunker.

"What took you so long?!" Ibsen complained.

"Sorry, had to go to HELIOS One to activate the weapon", Six took out the Archimedes II gun, eliciting a guffaw from Ramos.

"That's it? It looks like a toy gun!"

"This is just the targeting device", Six answered, "You may all want to stand away a safe distance from the site".

The two men pushed the crowd that had gathered around the ten foot deep hole as far away as possible. When she was satisfied that they were all a safe enough distance away, Six took aim and pulled the trigger, quickly stepping back after she did so. A moment later, a half meter wide beam of concentrated energy shot down from the sky and exactly in the centre of the pit with a force so strong that it shook the ground and knocked most of the crew off their feet. A wild victory cry erupted from the people as they scrambled back up onto their feet and moved closer to take a look. Though powerful enough to scorch the earth, the weapon didn't even melt the surface of the bunker, let alone put a dent in it.

"Shit", Ramos exclaimed when he saw the faint scorch marks on the metal alloy, "What now?"

"We need to get a sustained burst of energy directed on the surface", Ibsen exhaled, wiping off the sweat on his brow, "Do you think the weapon can do that?"

"I'm not certain", Six looked over at the targeting device, hoping to see some sort of switch or anything that would be able to modify the firing of the laser, "I could try holding the trigger, but my main concern with that is I would have to keep the gun aimed at the target, which would put me really close to the beam".

"You could use one of the excavating power armours that we have on the site. They've got a high temperature threshold", Ibsen replied, signalling to one of the crew to bring one to them.

"Can't hurt to give it a try", Six added, feeling her heart race in her chest. She wasn't looking forward to placing herself in an almost direct line of fire of a powerful weapon from orbit, but it was their only chance to get the two men out.

Once secured in the massive power armour, Six took her position at the edge of the hole, aimed and braced for the incoming impact as she squeezed the trigger and held it.

For a moment nothing happened, and Six wondered whether holding the trigger had the opposite effect and de-activated the satellite; but just before she thought about releasing the trigger, she heard concerned yells from the people about thirty feet behind her and something above her as if the very air was being ripped apart. Then a blinding red light hit the ground like a freight train, the impact pushing her back several inches. Six compensated for the pushback, trying to keep her aim at the target steady. The beam didn't stop, it carried on a continuous stream and she could see shock waves forming in front of her. She dreaded to think what would have happened to her if she had not been wearing power armour.

A temperature warning sign popped up on her HUD with a bar that showed she was almost at the limit of what the armour could handle; but she pressed on.

 _"Warning! Temperature limit reached"_ an artificial voice of the power armour's computer alarmed her as the bar went past the limit line.

"Just a little longer…" Six grunted, her muscles straining to keep her balance as the wave of energy began to pulsate, threatening to knock her down. She could only hope that the people behind her had enough time to back away enough from the beam and find cover.

Suddenly alarms inside the armour started blaring and Six knew she had to stop or the hydraulics would fail and she could end up getting caught in the beam. She let go of the trigger and a powerful shock wave from the beam pushed her back a couple of feet. A vortex of debris, black smoke and steam formed as the beam dissipated, blocking her view of the target area.

" _Did it work?_ " she heard Ibsen's familiar voice on the radio.

"I don't know… There's too much smoke to tell. Give it a moment", Six answered, feeling sweat trickle down her face.

She walked back to the edge of the pit, and after some of the smoke and dust had settled she could see a hole in the bunker, roughly a foot across with molten hot metal still bubbling and steaming around the edges.

"We're through!" Six cried out and immediately the crew that had taken shelter behind their heavy machinery ran out and got to work getting the hole wide enough to pull the trapped men out.


	17. The Choices We Make

Back at the Brotherhood of Gold bunker, Chuck was at a weapons workbench modifying his rifle when the intercom speaker on the wall blared at him, making him grimace in pain.

"What is it now?!" he hollered at the intercom.

"Ash is on his way. He found her", Fiona McBride answered, "You better get up here, he's bringing company".

"I'm on my way", Chuck dropped his tools and sprinted up the stairs. Ash had kept them all up to date with his findings, and when he informed them that Maya was in the Commonwealth, kidnapped by a rogue Courser from the Mojave, he was almost beside himself. When he finally got up to the top floor, he found Fiona already prepped and ready to greet their newcomers.

"What's the word?" he asked, getting his equipment from his weapons locker.

"They're on their way, but we should meet them down the tracks", Fiona holstered her pistol, "Maya's been shot. She's unconscious but alive".

"Shit", Chuck grumbled under his breath.

"You ready?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah", he answered, strapping a custom modified 10mm pistol to his belt and shouldering a plasma rifle, "Let's go". They quickly departed from the bunker and ran to the nearest meeting point on the rail tracks close to the abandoned Oberland station.

* * *

Soaked in perspiration with visible steam coming off his body in the cold early evening, Boone kept up with the fast pace of the group with Maya semi-conscious in his arms. From what he was told of the events that unfolded, she was shot twice by a Courser and even though they did their best to stem the bleeding, Maya was losing a lot of blood.

Boone had almost killed Ash, the man who had been stalking them all this time, when he saw him kneeling over Maya's unconscious body over at the C.I.T. ruins; but he was stopped by Valentine who seemed familiar with him. Now they were on their way to meet the other members of Ash's group where Maya could get medical attention. As they got closer to their destination, Boone spotted two individuals dressed in similar fashion to Ash. They slowed to a jog as they approached and the elder member, a man with a gruff appearance and grey hair, walked up to Boone. His features softened when he looked down at Maya.

A woman moved towards them, fastidiously retrieving a syringe with clear liquid and taking Maya's arm to administer the medication.

"What are you giving her?" Boone pulled away.

"Relax, it's just a stimpak", Fiona answered, "I have modified it to improve healing capabilities. Will you allow me?" she gestured to Maya's arm.

There was no other choice for Boone, or Maya, but for him to put his faith in these people. He nodded and allowed the woman to proceed, and within minutes the bleeding almost completely stopped. Boone could see her wounds healing right before his eyes.

"It's not safe to dilly dally here all evening. If you'd all like to follow us back to our base, we'll make sure you're all safe and looked after. It's not far from here", the leader said, checking the group out.

"Long as you mean us no harm, fine by me", Boone answered.

When they arrived at the bunker, their weapons were checked and placed in storage and Maya was taken down to their infirmary with Boone following close behind.

Ash showed the newcomers around his home, introduced them to the rest of the crew, and gave them a rundown in case of emergency procedures. From the looks on all of their faces, the newcomers were all very impressed with the bunker, and rightly so. Ash's home consisted of five levels, not including the ground level which they referred to as the "welcome wagon". Each level was dedicated to a specific task or need. Infirmary, science and reconnaissance was on level 1, physical and weapons training and maintenance were on level 2, crop production and food storage on level 3, leisure and relaxation on the 4th level with a pool and a gym, bar and games, and level 5 was dedicated to ammunition, weapon, and power armour storage.

"I could see myself living here", one of the soldiers commented while passing through the leisure level, doing his best not to ogle one of the female residents who was doing laps in the pool.

"Yep, we got it all down here", Ash winked, "But to live here you'd have to join our little band of Brotherhood exiles".

"So is that what you are?" Valentine asked, "What were you exiled for?"

Ash looked at him somewhat perplexed, "I thought Nora told you about us".

Valentine shrugged, "Not really. The only reason I recognised you is because we met once on a mission with her".

"Huh", Ash looked disappointed, " Well, we were exiled just before Elder Maxson came into power because we followed Elder Lyons' example of helping the people, and not just hoarding technology", Ash wound the corner and stopped at the bar. A ghoul in weathered Brotherhood fatigues stood behind the weathered mahogany bar, organising new stock of Nuka Cola.

"What'll it be? We just got the bar stocked back up so we should have whatever it is you like to drink", he flashed them a smile.

"You got any Sunset Sarsparilla?" one of the soldiers called from the back of the group.

"Hmm… 'Fraid not", the bartender frowned as he rummaged through the fridge, "Though we do have a large selection of ice cold Nuka Cola".

At the mention of cold drinks, the soldiers perked up and filed at the front in an orderly fashion for their share, while Daniel and Valentine stood on the side and observed hesitantly.

"If you don't mind me asking, why the secrecy? Why are you hiding in a concealed bunker when you could be out there helping the people like your Elder Lyons wanted", Valentine asked sceptically, eyeing Ash up.

"Because we stand for principles that Maxson doesn't agree with. Like, vehemently" Ash responded, popping the cap off his drink with his thumb and pocketing the cap.

"Uh huh, so despite having a significant amount of ordinance in here, being heavily fortified, you'd all still rather sit in here and do nothing?"

"Hey tin man, we're not doing nothing. We've been carrying out reconnaissance missions, gathered strategic intel, positions and supplies. We help people when we can and we influenced the outcome of the destruction of the Institute from the shadows, all without anyone knowing about us. Besides, the way things are going between the Brotherhood and Commonwealth at the moment, not sure announcing ourselves to the public would be a great idea", Ash retorted, downing his cold Nuka Cola and smacking his lips.

"It would be seen as an attempt at subterfuge of the citizens of this city", the bartender added, "We would be treated no better than Maxson's Brotherhood; probably worse".

"Besides, we've got bigger fish to fry and revealing ourselves would only increase the risk for us", Ash tossed his empty bottle in the recycling bin, "How about we go sort out your accommodations now?"

"Alright, but we still have questions", Daniel remarked, taking a more easy stance now that he got some more information from Ash.

"Best person to answer all of your questions would be my father", Ash guided them up the stairs and to the communal bunk beds, "He's the guy who set everything up here and the one who makes sure we all uphold our principles".

Daniel made a mental note to go find Chuck once they were all settled in. Although the story seemed to convince everyone else that this group were an honourable Brotherhood group that chose exile rather than follow Elder Maxson, there was a voice in the back of his head that was nagging him to dig deeper and find out the real reason why they were here. He just hoped that whatever he uncovers doesn't come back to bite him and Maya back.

* * *

Propped up with several pillows and a doctor checking her over, Maya was already awake and asking questions about how she ended up in the infirmary and needing to get back outside to find Boone and the others. Boone watched through the small glass window looking in the room as the doctor calmed her down, explained what had happened and convinced her to stay in bed.

Over 24 hours had passed since he and the others set out into the Commonwealth to find Maya and since Daniel had given him another dose of the calming drug, the effects of which were already expiring from his system. He was finding it difficult to reconcile with his emotions. All he wanted to do was walk in the infirmary and be with her, but he had to wait patiently until the doctor gave him the go ahead. It was taking longer than anticipated, Boone was beginning to worry if everything was alright.

"What you doing out here?" a gruff voice called behind him. It was Chuck, holding two cups of hot coffee and handing him one filled almost to the brim. Boone took it gratefully and inhaled the warm, earthy aroma.

"Waiting for the doctor to let me in", Boone answered, taking a cautious sip of the hot drink, "Thank you, I needed this".

Chuck nodded and moved closer, peering through the window, "Huh, seems she's almost ready to get back on her feet".

"Yeah", Boone answered distantly.

"You're Boone, right?" Chuck asked curiously.

Boone looked up at him in surprise. At no point did he, or anyone else, reveal his name to the others, "Yeah, but I didn't give you my name. How did you know?"

Chuck shrugged and took a drink from his cup before answering, "You fit the bill. She talked a lot about you; back when we were in the Citadel".

The answer only added to the questions he had for Chuck. "You _know_ each other?"

Chuck smiled cheekily, content with the reaction he was receiving, "Oh yeah, we were Paladins in Lyon's pride, and pretty close; shared almost everything in that life".

Boone felt a surge of jealousy spring up from within himself. Just exactly how _close_ were they? He dipped his head slightly and took a drink of coffee, swallowing the bitter taste and feelings.

"She's something else isn't she?" Chuck admired her from the small glass window in the door, "Took on a Courser in hand to hand combat and kicked ass. You gotta be tougher than nails to do that, let alone walk in her shoes".

Boone remained silent, even though Chuck's comments felt like needles jabbing him all over. He focused on Maya, watching as her eyes went over to the door now and then to see if Boone was still there. The more he watched, the more he noticed her expression becoming concerned. He decided to ignore the doctor's request and went inside.

"Sir, we're not finished, could you wait outside", the doctor said, more of a statement rather than a request.

"I won't interrupt Doc, but want to be in here with Maya", he answered, turning to Maya with an apologetic look, "But, only if you want me here".

The doctor looked at him exasperatedly and was about to demand he leave until Maya reassured her that she was alright with Boone staying and listening to their conversation.

"Alright then", the doctor sighed and proceeded where she'd left off.

* * *

Watching them from the other side of the door, Chuck couldn't help but stare in wonder at Maya. Decades had gone and she still looked the same as the first day he saw her when he was just an Initiate. It was an almost surreal experience. From the beginning they became close friends. Chuck learned everything from her about what it meant to be part of the Brotherhood and how it was their duty to do what they could to help those who could not help themselves. She was his mentor and his inspiration, he kept no secrets from her and revealed everything, including the love he felt for her. He could tell that she also felt something for him, but she graciously declined his affections. He still remembered the day she told him she was leaving the Citadel for the Mojave wasteland; he'd begged and pleaded with her not to go, grovelling like a man with no shame. Truth was he was in love with her the moment he saw her, and if it hadn't been for the fool sitting next to her she would have succeeded Owyn Lyons and become Elder of the Lyons Pride. Although he was happy to see her, he didn't realise how much it hurt him to see her with another man; a man who had hardly anything in common with her.

 _'What does she see in that jackass?'_ he thought loathingly before turning around and heading back to the weapons workbench where he was working on his weapon. At least doing something would distract his mind from delving into what should have been.

* * *

After the doctor finished explaining the effects of the medication and left them alone in the infirmary to make a decision, Boone turned to Maya and she could see the walls that he had built up over the years crumble before her eyes.

"I'm so very sorry I didn't come back that night Maya", his voice broke, "There's no excuse. I was a selfish bastard and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did".

Maya smiled, "Yeah… That was a pretty selfish thing to do". He blinked and looked down at his feet, but Maya could see the tears had welled up in his eyes. "But you are my selfish bastard, and I love you…more than anything".

"Hah", he sniffed and wiped away tears from his bloodshot eyes, "I don't know how you can love someone like me after the way I behaved".

"I will admit, you _do_ test me sometimes", she squeezed his hand.

They both chuckled, feeling the tension between them relieve itself.

"When I heard you'd gone missing, I didn't know what to do", he shook his head and looked up at her, cradling her hand in both of his as if it was the most precious thing to him, "All I saw was red. I wanted nothing more than to kill the son of a bitch that kidnapped you".

"I did land a few good punches of my own", Maya quipped, eliciting a smile from Boone.

"I bet you did. You were always better than me at hand to hand combat", he sighed, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better. Sore, but better", she smiled, running her fingers through his hair. She saw his eyes look down at the small medicine bottle clutched in her hand, but he didn't mention anything.

"So, you feeling well enough to get outta here?" he smiled up at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "We can go to our temporary quarters, let you get some rest"

"Yes! I could sleep for days", Maya sighed as Boone helped her put her jacket back on.

"One day, when we're finally done with all this, you're going to have to fill me in on this Brotherhood of yours", he said in amusement as they walked out of the infirmary and quietly retreated to the private recovery room the doctor had allocated for them.

* * *

Pacing in his spacious and pristine living room, Jack Cabot felt anxiety bubbling inside of him. Two nights ago their family was approached by a Courser who identified himself as X6-88 to them and had an interesting proposition. There was a very special woman who needed their protection from synths, and the Cabot family was asked to keep her for a while. As well as housing and protecting her, the Courser asked them to carry out a medical investigation, for what purpose Jack didn't know. After a day had gone without any sign of her, Jack sent Edward out to see if he could find anyone who was looking for their house.

'Maybe she got lost, or ambushed by raiders', he thought as the main door swung open and Edward walked in alone.

"Finally! I've been going out of my mind here", Jack exclaimed, "Did you find anything?"

Edward took a deep breath in and shook his head slowly, "I'm sorry Jack. I didn't find anyone at the meeting point the Courser gave us. I did venture out further, thinking maybe they got caught up in something".

"And?" Jack stopped pacing and held out his arms expectantly.

"There was some evidence of a struggle around the corner of the C.I.T. ruins. Fresh blood on the ground and scuffle marks on the floors too, but no one around".

"Please tell me you picked up a sample of the blood?"

Pulling out a small vial with a blood soaked cotton swab in it, Edward handed it to Jack, "Of course I did. I know all too well that you wouldn't have forgiven me if I missed that clue".

Jack took it to one of his lab stations and prepared it for testing, "Thank you! I can compare the results with the ones that the Courser sent us".

"I sincerely hope it's not a match", Edward commented, observing the vial warily.

"Me too", Jack answered, "But we need to find out for sure".

"And… If it turns out it is hers?"

Jack clenched his jaw, not relishing the prospect of dealing with that problem, "Then we'll have to contact the Courser and let him know. He'll have to take it from there".

* * *

Early next morning, Maya stood in front of the bathroom of their private recovery room, her eyes darting from her reflection in the cracked mirror in front of her and the smooth glass bottle with the medication the doctor had given her. There was a single pill in the amber coloured vial, a single pill that would solve her problem; yet she hesitated, not fully knowing why. Last night, she and Boone had spoken at great length about this situation, and although Boone stressed that he'd agree to support her in her decision, despite his adamant stance when they were in the Mojave; now it was her who was hesitating and leaning towards the other side.

Something was gnawing at her in the back of her mind. After some moment's consideration, she left the bathroom and the unopened vial on the sink, a muddled expression on her features.

"Ready to go get some breakfast?" Boone's voice asked from the other side of the bed. He'd just finished making it and was straightening the creases in the sheets, "I can't remember if the doctor said it would help make you feel less nauseous to have some food before, or after taking the medicine".

"I didn't take it", she stated.

"Oh?" Boone cocked his head, "…Okay".

"Okay?"

He moved closer to her, sensing something was causing her unease, "What's wrong?"

Maya paused, unsure of what to say. When the words wouldn't come to her, she shook her head and shrugged, but she could feel a wave of emotion hiding around the corner, threatening to suffocate her if she didn't work through it. "I was sure; I knew what I wanted, but now… I dunno, it feels different".

Boone took a steady breath in and slipped his hands in hers, "How so?"

"After waking up when I was taken, realising how far away I was from home and the people I loved… There was a part of me that thought I would never get back to the Mojave again, that I'd never see _you_ again".

Boone nodded slowly and swallowed down the lump that was in his throat. He couldn't deny that, for a while, he too had thought that there was a high probability that Maya wouldn't be found. Luckily they had Daniel, and although both men had their differences and reservations about one another, Boone had come to appreciate him for his help.

"I'll be honest… I was afraid that I'd lost you too", he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Maya close to him, meeting her at eye level, "But I shouldn't have been. We always find each other, no matter what".

She smiled, staring into the depths of his green eyes, and the next words that left her mouth were so unexpected that it made her flinch with surprise, "I want this". It was a terrifying thought, but after going through recent events and thinking she was never going to see him again, there was definitely a part of her that wanted to go through with it.

It took a moment for Boone to realise what she meant, "You want…this?" his eyes widened and darted to her abdomen and back up to her, "But… I thought… When you were with the doctor and she was…"

"I know", Maya shook her head, "I thought I was sure then, and when I first found out; but when the doctor handed me the pills it felt…surreal".

"Maya, I don't want you to think that if you decide not to have it that I will hold it against you. I don't want that to be the reason why you decide to keep it".

"When has your lack of approval ever stopped me from doing what I wanted? Or what my gut was telling me?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, enjoying watching the blank stare as Boone tried to find an example and failed.

"You got me there…"

"I'm not gonna lie that deciding to go for this isn't scary, and I'm terrified of just the thought of giving birth", Maya admitted, feeling a tremble in her voice, "But I think partly what got me through my whole ordeal was knowing that I had a part of you with me. Deep down, it gave me a piece of hope; and now that I see it, I don't want to let it go".

Boone's heart leapt in his chest and he happily squeezed Maya's hands in his, his face beaming with joy.

"If that's what you want", he smiled with a heartfelt sigh, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close until his head was resting on her chest. He could hear her excited heartbeat matching his own.

"Yes", Maya chuckled and lightly stroked the back of his head and neck, feeling the tension in her body ebb away, "Let's do it".


	18. Dead Man's Switch

_**Author's note: I am so sorry this chapter took so long to write, it was one of the more difficult ones for me to complete for this story. You'll see why at the end…**_

* * *

A storm was brewing by the time Arthur and his team were ready to head out into the Commonwealth to distribute the FEV cure. Nora had come through for them, managing to procure enough of the serum for a small test run. The doctor aboard the Prydwen was also able to develop an aerosol distribution method, which would allow them to safely spray the cure over areas where there was heavy infestation. Although Arthur insisted that Nora accompany them on this mission to see the results of all her hard work, she declined his offer stating she had other urgent matters to attend to. No matter, he was going to oversee everything went according to plan.

Boarding the Vertibird and securing himself inside with three other Brothers and Sisters, the pilot started the engines and the craft whined to life, lifting off and giving them a great view of the Commonwealth along with four other Vertibirds flying in formation close to them. Feeling the tug in his stomach as the aircraft pulled some G's to ascent, the wind rushing through his hair and the kick of adrenaline was something Arthur would never get tired of.

"Five minutes to the drop zone", he heard the pilot's voice through his headset. They primed and prepped the tanks for the cure distribution, holding steady and waiting to reach their drop zone.

"Target straight ahead", the pilot's voice notified them, and Arthur stood ready on one side of the craft for their go ahead to release the serum.

"Wait, what the hell is that?" the co-pilot's voice called, and before Arthur had a chance to turn in the direction they were pointing at, the proximity alarm started blaring at them and the craft veered hard left, followed by a familiar sound of a missile whizzing past them.

"Take evasive manoeuvres!" Arthur instructed, moving to the Gatling gun. The engines screamed as they were put through their paces, pushing them to their limits.

"Over there!" the pilot yelled through the headphones and Arthur spotted it. A supermutant with a missile launcher was standing on top of one of the buildings, waiting for them. He had already reloaded and fired just as Arthur engaged the gun and watched the bullets rip through him in a bloody mist; but he missed the missile. A split second later it collided with the tail, blowing it clean off the craft and sending them into a spin.

"Shit, shit! Mayday, mayday, Alpha Unit is hit. Repeat. We're hit!" the pilot yelled into his radio while desperately trying to stabilise the craft. By this point Arthur's section was filling up fast with black smoke from the engines. The acrid stench of scorching metal and hydraulics burned his lungs and stung his eyes, making him lose focus on what was happening around him.

"Take us up!" he yelled at the pilot, but it was too late. The craft rammed into the exposed roof of one of the buildings filled with exposed rebars and metal support struts. The impact was so hard that the rebars below them pierced through the hull of their Vertibird as if it were paper, instantly killing the pilot and maiming the co-pilot. The engines were still going at full throttle, tilting the craft forward and Arthur knew he had to act quickly to save both their lives.

"Hang on Sister!" he yelled above the screaming noise of the engines, unbuckling himself and her from her harness. Thankfully she was unconscious, because when he looked down at her impaled leg he could almost feel the colour drain from his face. Lifting her up by her legs he was able to release her from the rebar with one swift motion and, holding tightly onto her, jumped out of the craft and onto the concrete floor about nine feet underneath. Their mass must have prevented the craft from tilting too far, because as soon as they disembarked the Vertibird pulled forward and its nose was almost perpendicular with the building.

"Shit!" he grunted, running for the stairs as the engines high pitched scream increased. He managed to get two floors below with his co-pilot slung over his shoulder before the aircraft's blades connected with the building and it exploded in a deafening roar.

Quickly setting the co-pilot down he tended to her wounds, ripping strips of his shirt off to tie around her bleeding leg. She was still unconscious but Arthur knew that if he didn't get her help soon she'd be dead. He could hear Supermutants in the distance, their loud voices carrying in the strong wind. When the bleeding to the co-pilot's leg was stymied he had a look around the area for any weapons. Though he had his 10mm armour piercing pistol and plenty of ammo on his person, this wasn't going to be enough to fight their way through Supermutant territory. He cursed himself for not bringing his laser gatling gun.

In a trunk he found three frag grenades and some bottles of whiskey which he could turn into Molotov cocktails if he needed. He pocketed his find, picked the co-pilot back up and made a run for it down the myriad of stairs, hoping not to run into any Supermutants along the way.

"Lewes, Granger, does anyone copy?" he spoke into his personal radio, "Anyone there? This is Alpha Unit".

Static.

"If anyone has survived, home in on my signal".

Nothing.

"God damn it!" he spat, running down the last flight of stairs with his co-pilot in his arms, "If anyone is reading me, I am heading for delta three niner. Repeat, delta three niner!"

Pocketing his radio in his coat, he ran as fast and as hard as he could for the safe zone and, with any luck, he would be met by several fellow Brothers and Sisters in arms to help them and take them back to home base.

Underneath the city of Boston in the filthy sewers of the Old World, movement stirred the stagnant waters.

"Hurry", a man's voice demanded while half a dozen men followed behind, carrying a large and heavy device.

They made their way through the sewers unhindered, the only assault they suffered was the stench and filth of their environment. This section of the sewers had remained untainted since the bombs dropped so there was no worry of encountering a swarm of ferals.

"Over here", the leader instructed leading the men right at a fork. Another hundred meters and they were right underneath the Mass Fusion building.

The men grunted as they slowly lowered the sensitive device on the damp ground where instructed and set up the wiring for the arming device outside the thick lead casing.

"Work quickly!" the leader muttered while he kept an eye out for possible surprises.

"We will work at the pace that is required", the second in command answered gruffly, sweat dripping down his forehead as he focused on the sensitive task. He was an explosives expert for the Gunners. Ten minutes later their job was complete and they began wrapping up.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, the job's done. Can we get out of here now?"

"In a moment", the leader answered, looking over the device, "This is impressive work. Is there any way to halt the process?"

"Only one way to do it safely. You need to know the precise steps to do it without getting killed by the device going off or reaching in and directly locking the core into standby", the man answered proudly.

"I see. And who would know those proper steps?"

"Just us", he answered, packing away his tools, "We keep the knowledge limited to our group, so no one else can steal our designs, or unarm the device".

"Excellent", the leader smiled and swiftly pulled out his pistol, shooting each of the men in the head before any of them realised what was going on or had a chance to react. Stepping over their still warm corpses, the leader made his way out of the tunnels and back up to the Commonwealth, vanishing into the darkness of the night.

"You…selfish… _prick_!" Maya swore under her breath. Two weeks had gone by, _two weeks_ of her reuniting with old friends and helping them on missions, sharing with them her stories; only to be informed that the reason she wasn't filled in about Sarah Lyons still being alive and in hiding was because they didn't fully trust her. "After everything I've done and gone through for everyone, you didn't trust me?!"

Chuck leaned on the side of a wall and allowed himself to be her punching bag, to vent her frustrations and disappointment at him. It wasn't his decision to keep this information from her, but the younger members of the group thought it best to wait with this information until they got to know her better. The older members, Mike McBride, Jesse Porter, Malone, and Chuck who knew Maya since the beginning were all for being transparent with her; hell they all wanted Maya to take on the responsibility as their Elder, but they had to defer to the vote of the majority.

"I'm sorry Maya, but that was the decision", he replied calmly, hiding his own disappointment, "Hey, now you know, right?"

Maya glared at him, "Don't try to weasel yourself out of this".

"I'm not", he shook his head, "I'm just saying".

"Where is she? I want to see her", Maya insisted, "Or am I not privy to that information yet? Do I need to make some grand gesture of trust to you all, prove myself in battle again?"

"No, Maya", Chuck tried to offer some solace, "I promise you, I will take you to her in good time. But for now none of us can go see her".

"Why the hell not?"

He heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "This is going to take a while to explain. We'd better get some coffee; and a comfortable seat". He started at the beginning when they sat down in the empty mess hall, filling Maya in on the events that happened after she left them in 2281. As he was giving her the history of how the Lyons pride fell, Maya began to feel the familiar pang of guilt in her gut. She never stopped thinking about how things could have turned out if she had stayed with the Brotherhood all those years ago. He told her of the hardships they struggled with after Owyn Lyons passed away, then when his daughter Sarah took over things started to turn from bad to worse. With the Elder's passing, the Brotherhood Outcasts saw it as an opportunity to eliminate the last heir to the Lyons Pride and take back control. Luckily Chuck, Mike McBride and Cross caught wind of Casdin's plans and were able to create a strategy with Sarah and some of the other loyal Lyons Pride members. They faked her death and had Cross take her "body" back to make it look convincing, when in reality Sarah had taken a drug that simulated the appearance of death.

"Wait wait…wait", Maya held up a hand, feeling her brain refuse to believe Chuck's incredible story, "Cross told me herself that Sarah was dead".

"Ah, and what story did she spin with you?" Chuck leaned in, a cheeky grin on his weathered face, "Did she say they fended off a ferocious raider attack? Was it a swarm of feral ghouls? Did they run into a burning building to save puppies?"

"Seriously?" Maya cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed with his sarcasm, "So, none of that was true?"

"Nope", Chuck grinned, satisfied with the confused look on Maya's face, "Everything was planned, down to the last detail. After that we smuggled her out of the Capitol and made our way here, to the Commonwealth".

"But why here?" Maya asked confused, "Why not go to the Hub, or down south?"

Chuck shrugged, "It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was far enough away from the Capitol that the Brotherhood didn't have any presence here. We thought it would stay that way… Looks like we were wrong".

"So why is Cross still out there instead of here where she belongs?" Maya questioned, feeling unsatisfied with the answers she was getting.

"She's our eyes and ears out there. We keep in communication if and when needed, using covert methods but never by radio. You never know who's listening".

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Maya could see huge budding problems with the pit they had dug themselves in. "I don't like this Chuck; there's so many potential problems with the web you've woven for yourselves".

"We've done well so far, despite the odds stacked against us. Give us _some_ credit, we're not amateurs", he inhaled the warm earthy aroma of his coffee and savoured its taste.

"I know you're not, I just would have gone about this differently".

"Well then you shouldn't have left, should you?" Chuck immediately regretted his outburst, and seeing the hurt on her face made it even worse, "I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, you did", Maya exhaled shakily, "And… You know, you're right. I shouldn't have left… I should have stayed. Maybe I could have done something…could have gotten to Casdin before he derailed everything".

"You have no idea the amount of time I have spent…no, _wasted_ , thinking about that very same thing", Chuck shook his head, "Don't go there, it's not a good place and, frankly, there was nothing any of us could have done. In retrospect, it was actually a good thing that you left… You didn't have to see the Pride fall".

Maya hung her head slightly and forced herself to take a sip of her coffee, despite feeling a lump in her throat. "So… Obviously you all made it here in one piece".

"Hmm, yeah… More or less", Chuck grinned as he wiggled his eight toes in his boots, recalling the encounter with some vicious raiders when they first moved into the area. No matter how much time passed after that raider blew his two toes off, he could never get used to the feeling, "And now with the Brotherhood patrolling the Commonwealth more regularly, and in such close proximity to Sarah's safe house, you can understand why I am hesitant to take you there to see her right away".

Maya relented, biting her lower lip to keep from pestering him about the matter.

"And you know everything. But I promise you, I will take you to see Sarah… Just give me some time to get everything together".

"Alright", she sighed, "So what's next for you all? Are you… Will you be staying in the Commonwealth?"

Chuck's attention snapped back to Maya and he looked her up and down, a question he'd been wanting to ask her since she got back on her feet burning on his lips. "I dunno. Kinda hoping you might have some ideas".

"Chuck, I have no ideas", a small laugh escaped her and she shook her head, "Why even ask me? I know next to nothing about the Commonwealth".

"I ask because you and I have been friends for as long as I remember, and…"

"And what?"

"I trust your gut", Chuck grinned.

"My gut?"

"Yeah", he shrugged and sat back in his chair, "I remember your gut getting us out of some pretty messy situations in the past".

"What are you getting at Chuck?" Maya's eyes narrowed, feeling like this was a loaded conversation.

"Well… I figure, we've got the team back together, more or less…" he paused, looking at her hesitantly, "What would you say to joining back up in our ranks?"

 _'Next he'll be asking me to take over as Elder'_ , she thought.

"What?" Maya chuckled.

"As our Elder?"

 _'And there it is!'_ a voice in the back of her mind piped up.

The last question threw Maya off, but in retrospect it shouldn't have. It was clear even before she left the Lyons Pride many years ago that everyone expected her to take over from Owyn; but no one had ever brought it up directly with her.

"You can't be serious" she laughed nervously; but Chuck was resolute, "Chuck! Why the hell do you want me, you've got Sarah!"

"You know what, never mind" he nodded emphatically, "We can discuss the matter another day, when you're ready-"

"No, we will discuss it now, before you go ahead and do what you always did in the past – make a decision _for_ me", Maya stood up, feeling her heartbeat quicken and a lump in her throat, "You've just told me that Sarah's alive! She is the rightful successor to Owyn as Elder, and _you_ _know_ that!"

Chuck raised his arms in defence but before he could offer a counter argument they were interrupted by Fiona.

"Hey, Chuck… You got a minute?" her eyes shifted nervously between him and Maya.

"Raincheck?" Chuck asked Maya innocently, who relented with an exasperated sigh, "I promise not to make a decision without you".

"Fine. But this isn't over".

Giving her a thumbs up to acknowledge her statement, Chuck followed Fiona up to the top level of the bunker, leaving Maya to stew in her discontentment and thoughtfulness.

With a steady and sure hand, Boone used a straight razor to shave the short beard that he had grown out since their arrival in the Commonwealth. There was something relaxing about the feeling of the cold metal scrape over his skin under his jaw and over his cheeks, and watching it take away the rough hair that had grown a quarter of an inch was so satisfying. He'd finished shaving and tidying up his hair to a fade cut before he saw Maya walk into their room and almost slam the door behind her.

"Something wrong?" he turned to her, studying the frown on her face that she wore unconsciously.

"Huh?... Oh, nothing", she waved his question away, reaching under the bed and pulling out her duffle bag.

Boone wiped the specks of shaving cream from his jaw and stood next to Maya, calmly observing her as she started shoving items of clothing in the bag.

"That's my shirt", he pointed to one of the worn beige t-shirts she was stuffing along with her items and smiled as she hastily took it out and tossed it at him, "We going somewhere?"

"Yeah, away from here. Far away", she mumbled as she got onto her hands and knees next to the bed, feeling for her spare boots that had been shoved awkwardly to the corner.

"You going to tell me what happened?"

"Nothing happened".

Boone folded his arms in front of his chest, "I know that's not true".

Maya groaned in exasperation and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling muddled and frustrated, "I just want to go home. Everything was much simpler in the Mojave".

"Nothing's _ever_ simple in the Mojave", Boone sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You know what I mean", Maya rolled her eyes.

"Talk to me. Come on, maybe I can help", he smiled at her, and when her eyes looked up to meet his he could feel some of the tension in her body ease up.

"I just had a frustrating conversation with Chuck", she sighed, "I dunno… I have a feeling he's going to do something I won't approve of".

"I take it that's something he's done in the past?"

"Many times. For some reason he thinks it's endearing, especially if I'm involved in the making of his decisions".

Her answer made him feel uneasy and he felt a pang of jealousy rear its ugly head. The words Chuck shared with him when Maya was brought into their bunker, about how close he and Maya were before she left the Brotherhood and that they shared everything with each other, came rushing back. Though he knew that what he and Maya have together is incomparable to the kind of relationship she had with Chuck, he had noticed that sometimes Maya had trouble opening up to him and it made him wonder why it was so difficult for her to share her thoughts.

"I see…", he broke his gaze from her, feeling his ears go red.

 _'Don't let him get to you',_ a voice in the back of his head piped up, referring to Chuck and his history with Maya. It was obvious that the only reason he brought it up was to rile Boone up.

"So what did he say?" Boone asked curiously.

Taking a deep breath, Maya recalled the entire conversation she had with Chuck and spared no detail.

"That's great news about Sarah", he pulled her close to him, "Thought that would make you happy. I know it was one of your regrets; not being there for her".

"It does make me happy, thrilled actually. It's just… What Chuck said at the end."

"That he wants you to take over as Elder?", Boone mused, "I can see why you would be their first choice".

"I don't want that! I never wanted to be an Elder and I've explained it to him, countless times. It's like he doesn't want to listen", Maya shook her head in frustration, "Plus, Sarah's alive. Last time I checked she's still in charge".

"If he doesn't want to acknowledge it, then that's his problem, one which you are not obligated to solve. If you don't want to do it, no one can make you. I know that better than anyone", he chuckled.

Maya nodded and looked up at him with a comforted smile, "You're right", and leaned in giving him a kiss on his lips.

"So… what do _you_ want to do?" he asked her, steering her mind away from the source of her frustrations, "If you want to go home, just say the word. I'll get my things and we'll go".

Maya's brow furrowed and she gave his words some thought before answering, that all too familiar glimmer of temptation in her blue eyes.

"…I _want_ to go back… But I feel like I should stay", she bit her lower lip, "What do you think I should do?"

Boone shrugged, "It's your decision, but whatever you decide make sure it's what _you_ want. You don't owe anyone anything, and don't let anyone influence your decision".

As much as she wanted to protest his last point, she knew that when it came down to it he was right. She had already given so many years of her life helping the Brotherhood, shed blood and many tears for them; wasn't it time for her to be happy and live the life she had pictured with Boone? The life she had clawed to get back to from her own dimension.

"I guess you've got a point... Okay, I want to go back; but let's give it a day or two. I'd like to see Sarah if I can, or at the very least talk to her over the radio, make sure she's really alright".

"Fine by me", he wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood up in front of him, pulling her close, "Now that we got some time, I'd like to carry on from where we left off".

"What do you mean?" Maya cocked an eyebrow, a bemused look on her features.

"Hmm, maybe you need some reminding", he grinned, lifting up her shirt and kissing her slowly and softly between her breasts in a downward motion.

"Oh…" Maya sighed, remembering how their intimacy was rudely interrupted when they were back in their apartment in the Mojave, "Do you, uh… Think we'll have _enough_ time?"

"We have all the time in the world", Boone murmured sweetly, proceeding down her navel and caressing her lower back and buttocks.

"I'll defer to your better judgement", she grinned, stroking the back of his head and neck as she surrendered to his passion and to the feeling of pure bliss flush through her body once again after so long.

Walking at a fast pace through the streets of Goodneighbor, Nora wrapped her jacket tighter over her slender frame. Someone who she'd not expected to see again popped back on the radar, even if it was for a short time. It was Chase with news about DiMA's involvement in the conflicts spreading through the Commonwealth; she requested Nora meet her at the Old North Church where everything began so many years ago.

Small flakes of snow began to fall over the Commonwealth in the night, adding to the wintry and desolate feel of the city as Nora made her way quickly to her destination. Reaching the dilapidated church, she paused at the monument in front to admire it. Memories of her first meeting with the Railroad all came flooding back and she wondered why Chase would pick this location for their meeting.

"You made it", Chase's familiar voice called from the dark alley to her left, making Nora jump in surprise, "I take it you received my message as well".

"Yeah", Nora's voice trembled from the cold, "Though Magnolia did look a little worse for wear".

"Hmph", the corner of Chase's lips turned in a half concealed grin, "I keep telling her she shouldn't be spending so much time with those Gunner thugs, but you know Mags. Always the free spirit".

"I suppose", Nora eyed the Courser warily, "Do you have any news?"

"I do", Chase came out into the dim light of the street, "But not here. Come; I've got something to show you". She opened the door to the Church and walked in without waiting to see if Nora would follow behind.

Something about this whole meeting gave Nora a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and even though her instinct was screaming at her not to follow, curiosity overrode it and she hesitantly followed Chase inside but kept a reasonable distance between them.

Chase led Nora down to the underground section of the church, the same route she took to get to the Railroad. She remembered following the clues to get to the Railroad with Piper all those years ago; now she wished she had her dear friend by her side again.

"Alright Chase, what's going on?" Nora asked still keeping at least an arm's length away from her.

"You'll see in a moment", Chase answered smoothly, "It's much better if you see. It'll have more…impact than simply telling you".

Rounding the corner and going through the open greeting area, Chase went through the worn door and down the stairs. What Nora saw next knocked the air out of her lungs. A barely conscious and gagged Arthur Maxson sat slumped in a metal chair bolted to the concrete floor with chain wrapped around his body and limbs to keep him captive.

"Arthur!" she ran to him and pulled at the chains, "Chase! What the hell is this?"

"I thought you would be pleased, knowing how the Brotherhood massacred the people you were so fond of here", Chase picked up and examined a weathered and bloodied Newsboy cap that was on the floor before tossing it to the side.

"You did this?", Nora uttered, a cold fear gripping her very core. This was a trap, and she'd fallen right into it.

"Of course I did, who else could've nabbed the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel?" she smiled proudly, moving behind Arthur and examining his broad shoulders and muscular arms, "He wasn't easy to capture, I'll tell you that. And getting the Brotherhood the cure for the FEV was an inspired idea Nora. Unfortunately, we couldn't have that undo all the hard work we've accomplished so far".

"Why Chase? I thought you said you were going to speak with DiMA, that you were going to give them a chance".

Chase stared at her as if she were a gullible little girl, "You really think that DiMA was going to change his mind? Nora, I expected more from you".

There was no one to save them this time; no Brotherhood of Steel to charge in at the last second, the Minute Men or the Railroad… Nora didn't even have any of her friends by her side for assistance and advice. She felt utterly alone in the dark and dingy cellar of the Church, facing off with a woman she hadn't expected to ever be enemies with. It took all of her strength to keep her composure, but if this was going to be the end then she wanted answers.

"So… This is your plan? Kill Arthur, maybe put one of your own in his place and gain control of the Brotherhood for yourselves?"

"That used to be the plan, but with things going the way they are in the Commonwealth…well… There's no nice way to go about this".

"What are you saying?" the blood coursing through Nora's body ran cold.

"To put it bluntly, the entire East Coast needs to be…cleansed", Chase clenched her jaw

"You can't be serious!"

"Information about our location at Far Harbour has been leaked by the Brotherhood. A lot of people know about us, and they don't like that there's an entire island off the coast whose main population are Synths", Chase tilted her head to one side and folded her arms in front of her chest, "Hell, anyone can find us these days, we are completely at the mercy of the mainlanders. This is the only way to guarantee our safety".

"No, it's not", Nora shook her head adamantly, "Whatever it is you're planning, it's not too late to stop".

"Oh Nora, the events are already in motion. There's no stopping this juggernaut", she sighed, "But there's still hope for you. We haven't forgotten your help when we needed it most, or the kindness and understanding you showed us; so DiMA is giving you a choice. You can come with me tonight to Far Harbour and live with us, we already see you as one of our own."

"Or…?" Nora's voice seethed through gritted teeth.

"You don't want the alternative. Trust me", Chase's voice was stern.

"God damn it Chase!", Nora swore, feeling her heart in her throat, "Don't do this". But Chase stood there expressionless, waiting for Nora's answer. "I'm not leaving!"

Chase gave a curt nod of understanding, "Alright, but if you change your mind, I'll be at the docks until sunrise". She turned as though about to leave before turning around and pulling out a syringer from inside her dark coat and pointing it at Nora's chest, firing a single syringe loaded with a light blue colored liquid. "Just in case you get any ideas about freeing your friend here".

"You…bitch", Nora pulled the dart out of her shoulder, but it was too late. The drug was already taking effect and her vision became blurred, making her stumble and fall to the dusty concrete floor at Maxson's feet.

"Come find me when you wake up", Chase's voice faded out of existence and despite fighting hard to stay awake, the drug was too powerful and Nora's eyes fluttered shut, passing out with a sigh and into a terrifying darkness.

Chuck stood in the reconnaissance room with Tyler, Jesse Porter, Pearce, and Kendra, going over the results of their latest findings and reports, studying them for the third time to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

"Are we sure these readings aren't from some idiot raider who set off a mini nuke?" he turned to Jesse.

"We're sure", Jesse pulled up camera footage that one of their recon teams recorded on their evening scouting mission only a few hours ago.

"These look like Gunners", Chuck muttered, "No surprise there… Though… What's that?" he pointed to a large and covered object the men in the footage were carrying.

"Whatever it is, it's emitting high dose bursts of radiation", Kendra answered, "Best guess it's a nuke".

"Shit, in the city?!" Pearce's eyes widened in disbelief, "No… No, even the Gunners aren't _that_ stupid".

"We need to check this out. Tonight! Prepare three teams of two and meet me up here in half an hour", Chuck ordered and everyone jumped to work, wasting no time.

He rushed down the stairs taking them two at a time to get to the living quarters level and inform their guests of the developments. When they were given the details, Daniel insisted on going with them despite Chuck outlining the countless dangers that they would face along the way.

"Fine, if you want to risk your own neck, get your gear and join the crew up top. We leave in fifteen minutes".

"We should inform Maya of this development", Daniel added as he swung his satchel over his shoulder.

"No need to disturb her, she's got a lot on her as it is", Chuck shook his head.

"If you don't, she'll just find out later on and follow suit", Daniel answered calmly as he walked past Chuck, "I'll go ahead and give her the update if you'd rather not".

"No… No, I'll go. You go upstairs and get ready to set out. No arguing!" Chuck stormed past Daniel and around the corner of the corridor to Maya's and Boone's private accommodation.

"Maya, you in there?" he called from behind the door, hastily knocking on it.

After a few seconds he heard muffled hurried footsteps from inside, but he didn't expect to see Boone half naked on the other side.

"Oh!... Sorry, I thought she was alone", Chuck felt his body stiffen, realising he'd just interrupted them.

"It's fine. Maya's asleep. What's going on?" Boone asked.

Chuck could see part of the top half of her body under some bed covers behind Boone, her face turned away from the door and sleeping soundly.

"Uh… Nothing, just… Recon team picked up some suspicious activity a couple miles out. I've put together a team to investigate and we'll be moving out in a bit. When she wakes tell her everything's fine and we'll be back soon. Stay in the bunker, we won't be long", he nodded and moved to leave before Boone stopped him, pulling the door close behind so as not to wake Maya up.

"Wait, what suspicious activity?"

"Nothing you need to be concerning yourself with. Let us deal with this, go back inside", Chuck waved him away before running back up the stairs to meet with his people. A few minutes after they were all ready and silently moving out of the bunker when Boone ran up the stairs, fully prepared in black stealth gear and body armour, his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. Chuck didn't have any reserve energy to argue with him, realising the man was just more stubborn if not more than he was, but he didn't waste an opportunity to scowl disapprovingly as he brought up the rear of the group, following them in an Easterly direction.

By the time Chuck and his people got close enough to pinpoint the epicentre of the radiation pulses the first signs of light were visible on the horizon.

"Here, this is it", Jesse whispered as he directed them through the streets.

"Where?" Chuck panted, looking around their surroundings, "I don't see anything".

"It should be in that building", Daniel pointed, "Mass Fusion".

"Alright, teams of two, stick together and search the area. Meet back on the ground floor in fifteen", Chuck ordered and everyone dispersed in an organised search pattern. Fifteen minutes later they found nothing and met back up emptyhanded on the ground floor of the building, even more exhausted than they previously were.

"I don't understand it!" Jesse's eyes narrowed as he studied the pulses on his PipBoy, "It should be right here. Could we have missed it?"

"No, we combed through thoroughly. Didn't find anything", Kendra panted, running her fingers through her sweat drenched hair.

"Could be right underneath us", Daniel mused, "In the sewage tunnels maybe?"

"For fuck's sake", Chuck exhaled in frustration, leading everyone back out and picking a manhole to open, "Couldn't be in a rosy garden somewhere, it has to be in the sewers".

"We should hurry, the delay between the pulses is decreasing", Daniel noted.

"And that's…bad?" Chuck cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Can't be good", Daniel replied as he followed the others down the dark manhole and into the filthy sewers. Everyone took a heavy dose of Rad-X before they proceeded as Jesse's radiation readings spiked when they reached the bottom.

Snaking their way stealthily through the tunnels, it didn't take them long to find the source of the radiation.

"Holy _shit_!" Pearce exclaimed under his breath, "That's a fucking nuke!"

"Not just any nuke…" Daniel wiped the sweat off his brow, "If I'm reading my instruments right, this is a 1500kT nuclear device".

"You mean… If this goes off-"

"The Commonwealth will be just a smear on the face of the Earth", Chuck muttered.

The horrifying realisation of what they were dealing with staggered them.

"Alright… Okay, we've dealt with bomb disposal before", Jesse breathed, trying to calm the group down.

"Not on this scale!" Kendra replied; the terror evident in her voice.

"It's a good thing I came along then", Daniel moved past them, giving Chuck a curt nod, "Give me some space, I think I can disarm this device".

Chuck nodded eagerly and everyone moved back, holding their breaths as they watched Daniel work fastidiously with the wiring and the control panel.

"There's a safety lock on the device. I should be able to by-pass the security codes if I hack through the backdoor".

"Backdoor, front door, doesn't matter, so long as it doesn't blow up in our faces!" Chuck murmured, shining a bright torch on Daniel's workspace.

"Alright… here goes", Daniel took a deep breath and began the arduous task of gaining access to the device.

Each second that ticked by felt like borrowed time, waiting for the moment that everything could go sideways. And as time passed the radiation pulses increased in speed. By the time Daniel got through the first layer of security the group had to take another double dose of Rad-X and an IV of RadAway.

"C'mon Daniel!" Chuck muttered, feeling his arms going shaky with dread.

"Almost… One more minute", Daniel's hands moved quickly as the code changed in front of him to hopefully the final layer of security. Less than a minute later the control panel unlocked and revealed the wiring system. It was the most elaborate set up Daniel had ever seen in his long life, and as soon as he finished analysing it, he knew there was no way of disarming it without the proper sequence.

"What's the hold up?" Chuck knelt next to him, his eyes observing the set up in front of him.

"I can't disarm this", he shook his head, eyes wide with terror.

"What do you mean you can't? Just cut the damn wires!"

"Yeah? Which one?" Daniel asked sarcastically, "If you haven't noticed, nothing is labelled, all the wires are the same color, and there are over two dozen of them, some of which are _connected_ to each other".

Chuck heaved a shuddering breath and looked over at his people who were a few steps behind, watching the events unfolding.

"We can't just sit here, that thing could go off at any moment".

"I know!" Daniel said under his breath, getting up and circling the device in search of another option or opening that he could use. There was only one other at the back of the housing, and from what Daniel could ascertain it was the container for the nuclear material. He took Chuck and pulled him aside to explain the situation.

"Chuck, I can't disarm this bomb", Daniel answered in a hushed voice, "I can't touch any of the wires in there. If I do, I risk setting the arming device off".

"That doesn't do anything to solve our problem!"

"The only way I can see of disarming it is to unlock the chamber and physically _move_ the material to the top lock", Daniel explained.

"Alright, so do it!" Chuck moved back over to the device and searched for the housing opening.

"No, stop!" Daniel pulled him away, "It's a Deadman's switch. Once you open the housing, there's almost nothing in the way to stop the radiation from coming out of that aperture".

"Get out of the way, I'll do it myself!" Chuck tried to move past him but Daniel pushed him back, continuing to argue his case.

"Chuck, I can't even guarantee that doing that will even work!" Daniel countered.

"What's happening?" Kendra asked.

"He can't disarm it without the proper code", Jesse rubbed his temples, "So… Now what?"

"We've got a Vertibird some miles out on the outskirts of the Commonwealth. I can radio in and fly the bomb out of here using the automated system".

"Even if we could do that without setting the bomb off while we moved it down the tunnels to a hole large enough to airlift it out, there's no time!"

"Yeah, the pulses are now five minutes apart and time is running out", Pearce said, his voice cracking with fright.

"Alright, nobody panic, we'll find a solution", Daniel raised his arms to quell the flood of questions and was about to turn back to find another solution for the bomb when he saw Boone open the housing and reach in quickly.

"Craig NO!" he screamed, but it was too late. With a thud Boone turned the nuclear container and secured it on its stand by latch before quickly closing the housing lid and stepping away from the device, sweat dripping off his face as he panted from the exertion.

"Boone… What have you done?" Chuck stared at the man in disbelief.

"Had to be done", Boone breathed deeply, realisation starting to kick in about what was going to follow after this, "Have the pulses stopped?"

Jesse hastily checked his sensors and after thoroughly examining the readings confirmed that the device was disarmed.

"Good", Boone clenched his jaw and nodded curtly. He had an unpleasant and pervasive taste of metal on his tongue.

"Chuck, can you…" Daniel motioned to the bomb behind them and Chuck nodded, letting him and Boone make their way out of the tunnels and back up to some fresh air while the Brotherhood of Gold kept a watchful eye on the bomb.

"I can't believe what you just did", Daniel panted when they climbed out of the sewers.

"I can", Boone exhaled shakily, his body shivering in the cold. The sun was coming up over the horizon, washing the land near it and the sky above with incredibly vivid and beautiful pink and orange hues. "I take it there's no coming back from this?"

Daniel looked up at him with a grave expression, shaking his head, "The dose you received was lethal, over 5000 rads… No, I'm sorry Boone".

Squinting in the morning light, Boone took a deep breath and savoured the crisp winter air in his lungs, "Don't be, I did it for her".

After a moment of silent contemplation, Boone couldn't help a chuckle escape him when the irony of the situation hit him.

"What's so funny?" Daniel studied him with concern, but Boone simply shook his head.

"It's finally happened", he chuckled as tears streamed down his face and he felt a hollowness spread from within, manifesting into physical pain and making him grimace. Years of waiting and wondering when the Universe was going to punish him for what he did at Coyote Ridge, he'd started to think maybe it was all in his mind and that fate didn't work in such ways. How wrong he was; it was just waiting for the right moment to strike, a time when he was happiest. "The worst thing is… I don't know how to tell her that I won't be there for her".

They waited together in silence after Daniel radioed in his Vertibird to come and collect them and take the bomb away, in case the owner decided to show up and re-arm the device and safe in the knowledge that they were able to thwart a nuclear threat that could have wiped out the entire city… For now.


End file.
